Wishing all mothers happiness, health, peace, and joy.

Thank you to everyone who joined the 4cClub Mother's Day event, and thank you to every writer, teacher, reader, and guest who supported this writing project.

When this project first began, we wondered whether people would still be willing, in the age of AI and fast communication, to sit quietly and write a sincere piece about their mothers. The response proved that concern unnecessary.

Since the call for submissions was published at the end of March, we received nearly 50 pieces. The writers spanned generations, from those born in the 1950s and 1960s to younger writers born after 2000. Submissions came not only from Ottawa, but also from Toronto, Vancouver, and China.

These stories show mothers from different times and places: quiet endurance, everyday warmth, hard years, small acts of love, misunderstandings, regret, gratitude, and memory. They remind us that we write not only about our own mothers, but also about countless mothers whose lives echo through our own.

Many writers told us that they began with only a few memories, then found themselves writing thousands of words, often through tears. Many readers also wrote back saying that the stories made them want to speak to their mothers, or say words they had never said before.

That is the power of writing. It may not turn back time, but it can bring people who have gone far away back into our memory. It can help us understand one another more gently.

We thank all contributors, reviewers, reading guests, and every person who read these pieces with care. May we all find a little more patience and a little more companionship in our busy lives, and love well while time still allows.

At the Mother's Day event held on May 9 at Ottawa Mandarin School, each young artist who participated in the Zodiac Drawing Competition may receive a Year of the Horse commemorative coin as a keepsake.

Children and mothers are warmly invited to join us at the event. Friends are welcome to wear Hanfu or traditional clothing and take meaningful Mother's Day photos together.

Event Overview

We sincerely invite students and parents from the Zodiac Drawing Competition to celebrate Mother's Day together. The Year of the Horse commemorative coins will be distributed at this warm community gathering.

Some stories are gentle: the warmth of the kitchen, the familiar reminder to dress warmly, the ordinary tenderness of daily life.

Some stories are quietly endured: difficult days, unseen fatigue, and love carried without complaint.

Some stories have never been told: covered by time, daily life, or the assumption that things were simply meant to be that way.