Celebrated on the second Sunday of May, Mother’s Day is a heartfelt occasion to honour the love, strength, and sacrifices of mothers. It’s more than cards and flowers—it’s a moment to reflect on the selfless role mothers play in our lives. From nurturing and guiding us to inspiring us in quiet, powerful ways, their presence shapes who we are. The Goan marks the day by sharing messages from people across Goa, capturing memories, gratitude, and personal tributes to their mothers and mother figures. Today is a reminder to pause and say thank you—for all that mothers are and always will be.
Love you Mom!
The love of a mother is unconditional, and you have it all the time. My mum was not highly qualified but a homemaker who taught me basic skills to handle life, empathy, and how to stand up in difficult times. She struggled a lot with limited resources, but her love and motivation were enough to tide over the situation. I may not have got the riches of the world, but I definitely received the strength to face anything I encountered. My gratitude to my mother on this Mother’s Day! Love you, Mom!
— Dr Sushma Kirtani, National Executive Member, Indian Academy of Paediatrics
Mother India: Hey Maa tuzhe salaam!
On this Mother’s Day, I feel our own motherland, Bharat Mata, is in pain due to the war between India and Pakistan. She is fighting for peace and harmony. If our motherland is happy, then mothers who were created by God in the form of humans will also be happy. Hey Maa, tuzhe salaam!
— Sagar Naik Mule, Kaavi Artist, Goa
To my mother...
I want you to know how grateful I am for you. Your love, care, and sacrifices inspire me to be a better person. Thank you for being my guiding light. That precious memory of teaching and learning to write with you is something I will always treasure. Here’s to celebrating you and all the incredible things you do!
— Tania Fernandes, freelance editor & social media marketing manager
And God created mothers...
I am ever grateful to my mother for the love and sacrifices she has made to bring me up. Whatever I am today is because of her love, sacrifices, and the values she has imbibed in me from a young age. I can never forget what she has done for me. I thank God for my mother and wish her a Happy Mother’s Day.
— Avelino de Sa, President, DRAG
Of mothers and daughters...
We must express our gratitude towards our mothers who brought us into this world. My mother gets the credit for making me who and what I am. She never praised me for any awards I received in my childhood, but she scolded me whenever I did something wrong. Yet she felt proud when others praised me...We are the children of this earth, and we should take care of it as we take care of our own mothers.
— Shakuntala Bharane, classical singer, anchor, All India Radio, Panaji
A great role model!
Thank you for always being such a great role model. I was talking to a friend recently and realised how so many women lack ambition or motivation, especially when it comes to pursuing medicine. But you’ve always excelled at both—being the best mum and an amazing doctor—and that’s incredibly inspiring and helpful to me.
— Dr Pooja Kirtani, Junior Fellow in Emergency Medicine, UK
Mother’s memory, a guiding light
A mother gives without asking, loves without limits, and stands quietly behind every success and failure. She is the warmth in the cold, the calm in every storm, and the strength we often don’t realise we needed. Her sacrifices are countless, her love unconditional, and her presence—whether near or far—shapes us every day. She believes in us when we doubt ourselves and carries our pain as her own. I remember you every day, dear Mother, with love that never fades and gratitude that only grows with time. Your memory is my guiding light, and your love lives on in all I do.
— Kalidas K Satardekar, Artist
Mothers: Invisible scaffoldings
At 92, my mother, Antoinette Fernandes from St Mathias, Divar Island, is a woman of quiet grace and remarkable strength. She helped shape every part of my life. Mothers like her are the invisible scaffolding of our lives. They sacrifice silently, love endlessly, and guide us without asking for anything in return. This Mother’s Day, I reflect on all that she has been – a caregiver, a counsellor, a quiet warrior. I remain forever indebted. Thank you, Mum.
— Marius Fernandes, socio-cultural activist, Divar
Mother deserves honour every day!
A mother embodies the essence of unconditional love, resilience, and nurturing strength—she is the heartbeat of every family and the silent architect of generations. Her wisdom shapes futures, her sacrifices go unsung, and her presence provides the comfort of home no matter where we are. Mothers are the matriarchal power of the world not because they demand it, but because they carry it with quiet grace. On this Mother’s Day, we celebrate not just their role in our lives, but their extraordinary power to create, to lead with compassion, and to inspire strength in softness.
— Dr Sai C Malkarnekar, Margao
A tribute to my guiding light
On this Mother’s Day, I want to express my deepest gratitude and love for the incredible woman who has been my guiding light throughout my life. My mother came from humble beginnings in a small village in Pernem. Despite the limitations of financial resources and cultural barriers, she pursued her dreams and became a capable and determined individual. She not only supported our father but also became a teacher, imparting knowledge and values to many students. With unwavering dedication, she brought up my sister and me, teaching us the importance of respect, empathy, and good upbringing. Today, at 85, she continues to inspire us. Happy Mother’s Day to the most selfless and loving person I know.
— Sanjay Amonkar, Director General, Goa Chamber of Commerce & Industry (GCCI)
Giver of life in true sense!
In our Vedas, the word for mother is ‘Janani’, which comes from the Sanskrit word meaning ‘giver of life’. In the modern context, she not only gives life to a child but also protects them, nurtures them and also aids in healing. She takes on life’s difficult challenges and puts her child before herself in every aspect of life. A mother is like a ‘log of wood’ which burns the whole night just to keep you warm. Happy Mother’s Day, Amma!
— Dr Rahul Ramkrishnan, Medical Officer, Sub-District Hospital, Chicalim
Gift of God to be a mother!
It’s a precious gift of God to be a mother myself, which I can’t express in words. It is a dream coming true for a disabled person like me. I can do anything for the upliftment of my daughter. Although she is small, she is very understanding, loving, and caring towards me. I pray to God for her good health and to see her grow and settle in life.
— Natasha Maria Geraldina Gomes Alemao, LDC at PWD, Fatorda
Pray for the mothers of soldiers
The most noble and pure of all relationships is that between a mother and her child. When her baby is born, a mother is reborn as a woman, with new energy and new excitement. The same thing is true when a mother adopts a baby. For any mother, the day you hold your baby is the day your world changes. The woman is transformed that day into one of nature’s wonderful mysteries. She has the softest core to love her baby, the toughest mind that can multitask very efficiently to nurture her baby while managing her home and career, and the strongest body that can endure any pain to protect all this. Mother’s Day is a celebration of that transformation. On this day, I salute my mother for making me what I am.
— Radha Sagar Sakordekar, co-founder, SRS Computers, Mangeshi
My Aaee... my inspiration!
A small word, Aaee, but at one time my whole world was encompassed around it, like any other mother to a daughter. A well-composed personality – quiet, down to earth, non-grumbling, content, respected and loved in the big family as Hirabai – she was a source for art like painting, crochet, embroidery, cooking etc. A number of incidents and happenings showed the exclusive qualities, talents, patience, and tolerance of this great woman. The unforgettable blessing from her for me when my father (Bhaee) had a severe heart attack was her strong advice to my question, “What should I do, should I take up a job to support the family?” I was just in the 3rd term of the first year of MBBS. She said, “Don’t think much, just continue, everything will be alright.” And truly, my father recovered fully, we were back to our earlier life, and I could continue my studies with a National Scholarship as before. That decision of hers paved my life to be a doctor. I can’t thank her enough. She left us 26 years ago, but the hollow created is still the same. Whenever caught in deep troubles, I call out to one and the only one – Aaee.
— Dr Purnima N S Usgaonker, Usgaonkar Children’s Hospital, Ponda
Mother, an angel!
I don’t remember the last time I said I love you. You are 78 and I am 57. We keep fighting. We make up. You managed to be there like an angel whenever I took ill. You forgave every worst fight we have had, and at the end of the day, we are one. Mother’s Day is a reminder to pause, look back, say thank you for everything, and make you feel special, even if it is just for one day!
— Anjali Shinde, entrepreneur, Margao
Strongest anchor in life
Not only on Mother’s Day, but we siblings celebrate the presence of the strongest anchor in our life and an amazingly incredible woman – our Mumma, Shamala Prabhugaonkar. She is the personification of pure love in the truest sense and means the world to all of us. She is not just my mother, but my hero, my role model, and my greatest source of strength. She stands tall with grace to face all challenges. Happy Mother’s Day, Mumma!
— Ashita PrabhuGaonkar, Head, Human Resources at Anchorage Inc Logistics
Guiding light forever!
The only unconditional love in the world is a mother’s love. My mother, though no more, has always been my inspiration, my superhero, my best friend, and my guiding light. My life would not have been beautiful without her. Her selfless love is the most precious gift under the sun. Though she left us, I feel her soul is still around, blessing and taking care of me.
— John Aguiar, poet, songwriter, retired information officer, Betul
Sacrifices, thy name is mother
I owe my existence in this world to one person, and that’s my mother, Usha. She not only brought me into this beautiful world but nurtured me, instilled good values, and made me the person I am today – unconditionally. She was a working woman before her wedding but sacrificed her career and personal ambitions for our sake. For me, every day is ‘Mother’s Day’. But yes, today is the day to express gratitude and thank her and all the mothers in this world for the good things they have done for their children.
— Manish Karapurkar, marketing professional, Panaji
A very special day!
Today is a day to acknowledge our gratitude to the special woman – my Aai – someone who was always empowered in her own way. I received her strength, energy, positivity, and ‘never give up’ attitude as a legacy. I lack adjectives to thank and appreciate my mother for all the love, support, warmth, time, and energy she provided me.
— Deepali Maurya, founder, Quilts Craft, Gujarat
Lessons in actions, not just words
Maureen Alvares — a mother, a teacher, and a poet – she is the heart of our family and the steady presence who has shaped me into the man I am today. Through her love, patience, and strength, she taught me and my sister the values of kindness, integrity, and responsibility. Her lessons were never just words — they were lived out in her actions, in the way she treated others, and in the way she believed in us, even when we doubted ourselves. Her legacy lives on in the lives she’s touched, and in the love she’s given so freely.
— Adriel Alvares, Managing Director, Ancestral Goa, Big Foot, Loutolim
Every mother deserves this...
A mother doesn’t deserve to be praised one day of the year with a Sacrifice Queen Award! She deserves a deeper understanding that alongside being a mother, she’s a woman — and even more important: although she’s extraordinary, she still deserves to be a human! She deserves a non-judgemental space to raise her child with a few hits and a few misses; perfection is the biggest myth of motherhood! A child’s report card is definitely not directly proportional to a mother’s ‘performance review’!
— Priyanka Acharya, financial educator, author, podcaster – LaxmiGyaan
Mai: My everything!
Though she now resides in a place called heaven, Mai remains the heartbeat of my soul. She left when I was just seven, but her love echoes still — in warm dishes I’ve never tasted since, in evenings filled with her gentle care, and in her graceful saree I could never mimic. She walked me to school, spoke with nuns about my growth, always nurturing. Her elegance, her warmth, her voice — so little, yet so lasting! A mother is a treasure not every child gets to keep forever, but I carry her within me, always and endlessly.
— Dr Aida Dourado, Nuvem
Not a mother myself but...
The two lessons taught by my mother – to be disciplined and self-dependent in life – helped me climb the ladder of success in whatever I did. She deserves the credit for all my achievements. I am not a mother myself, but my friends, relatives and neighbours see a ‘mother’ in me, and that’s more than enough for me to feel proud of sharing that motherly love with others.
— Vaishali Sudarshan Pai, writer, Mangaluru
(Compiled by Bharati Pawaskar)
