On Mother’s Day, which we celebrate on May 10, we are invited not only to express gratitude, but also to pause and reflect on the meaning of motherhood today. Motherhood is an experience that continues to evolve alongside society, while preserving its deepest essence.
Being a mother today means navigating a complex reality, shaped by delicate balances between professional life, relationships, personal identity, and everyday responsibilities. There is no longer a single model of motherhood: each woman shapes her own path, often striving to reconcile personal aspirations with the needs of others, autonomy with care, presence with independence. In this sense, motherhood is not just a role, but an ongoing process of growth, adaptation, and self- awareness.
Beyond individual differences, what many experiences share is the often-quiet ability to support, guide, and give shape to the lives of others. It is a strength that is not always visible, yet leaves deep traces, in everyday gestures, in the right words
spoken at the right time, in a steady presence even when everything feels uncertain.
This takes on an even deeper meaning for women who experience motherhood far from their country of origin. For many migrant women, being a mother also means acting as a bridge between cultures, passing on a language, traditions, and a sense of belonging that might otherwise fade. It is a precious and, at times, demanding task: raising children in a new context while striving to keep a connection to one’s roots alive.
Motherhood in the diaspora is also shaped by nostalgia and resilience. The support of extended family and close-knit networks is often missing, and everything must be built day by day, with great inner strength. Yet it is precisely in this space between two worlds that deeply enriching experiences emerge: layered identities, open perspectives, and a strong capacity for adaptation and dialogue.
This is especially true for our Italian community in Sydney, built through the courage and determination of many women who, alongside their own life journeys, have raised children, preserved traditions, and created connections, contributing in a quiet yet fundamental way to the cultural vitality we share today.
In this regard, I cannot help but think with deep admiration of the women who migrated in the 1950s and 1960s, whose stories I have had the privilege to hear. Their accounts reveal the immense challenges and courage involved in becoming
mothers in a new country, facing pregnancy and childbirth without knowing the language, often without support, relying solely on their own strength and determination. To me, they are true heroines: quiet examples of resilience, dignity, and love, who laid the foundations of the communities we live in today.
On this day, we celebrate all mothers, in their many forms and experiences, recognizing not only what they do, but who they are: points of reference, keepers of memory, and often the quiet builders of the future.
To all of them, I extend my warmest thoughts, with gratitude and respect.
Happy Mother’s Day to the mothers of NIAWA and to all mothers around the world.
Concetta Cirgliano Perna AM
