Mother’s Day carries a little more weight for me this year.
On February 15th, Bethany and I welcomed our son Bowen into the world at Newport Hospital, and somewhere over the last few months, between the sleepless nights, bottles, diapers, and quiet moments holding him at 3 in the morning, I’ve gained a completely different appreciation for mothers and everything they carry each day.
Watching Bethany as a mother has been nothing short of incredible.
Anyone who knows her already understands the type of person she is. As the General Manager of three boutique hotels here in Newport, caring for people has always come naturally to her. She notices the little things. She wants everyone around her to feel comfortable, welcomed, and taken care of. That’s who she is at her core.
Now I get to watch that same energy poured into our son every single day.
Patience. Instinct. The calmness she carries even during the exhausting moments. The way she looks at Bowen. The way he looks at her. The way she somehow already knows what he needs before anyone else does.
I’m just so incredibly proud of her.
Becoming a father this year has been the greatest gift I could have ever asked for.
There’s something about holding your own child for the first time that changes your perspective on life almost instantly. All my friends who are fathers told me, “you won’t understand ‘it’ until ‘it’ happens. But it will change your life.” That couldn’t be more true. Your priorities shift and your appreciation for the little things in life deepens. Small moments suddenly feel important in ways they never did before.
At some point during our stay at Newport Hospital, probably somewhere in the blur of exhaustion and emotion, it also really hit me how important the birthing center is to this community. The ongoing conversation surrounding its future suddenly felt deeply personal.
Until you experience it firsthand, I don’t think you fully understand the comfort of knowing those resources, those nurses, those doctors, and those support systems are right here at home. The staff there meant so much to our journey bringing Bowen into the world, and I know our story is one shared by hundreds of local families each year.
There are moments in life that stay with you forever. Walking through those hospital doors as nervous first-time parents and leaving with our son in our arms will always be one of them. It reinforced something I think many families across Aquidneck Island already know. That birthing center is essential to this community.
Mother’s Day also always brings me back to my own mother, Lyn Bernadyn.
When my father passed away in 2000, my brother Trevor and I were just kids. Looking back now through the lens of parenthood, I honestly don’t know how she managed everything she carried during those years.
But somehow she did.
She made sure we always felt supported, encouraged, and loved even while navigating her own grief privately. She sacrificed her own time and energy so my brother and I could have opportunities she worked tirelessly to provide for us.
Years ago, I wrote a piece called “For My Mother,” and rereading parts of it today still feels emotional because so much of it remains true. I wrote about her authenticity, her warmth, and the way she always put family first.
Now, seeing her step into the role of Nana has been really special for our family. You can see the joy all over her face when she holds Bowen. And I think that’s what today is really about.
Unconditional love.
Love that sacrifices. Love that comforts. Love that encourages. Love that creates warmth when life feels uncertain.
Motherhood is not easy, I now see that firsthand. It asks everything from a person sometimes. But there’s something incredibly beautiful about the way mothers continue to give so much of themselves to the people they love.
So today, I’m feeling eternally grateful. Grateful for Bethany. Grateful for my mother, Lyn. Grateful for all the incredible women who helped raise me (Auntie Lisa, Auntie Pam, Auntie Franny, Auntie Jane). Grateful for Bowen’s grandma, Becky. Grateful for Bowen’s bestemor, Lisa. Grateful for all the incredible mothers that I call friends. Grateful for all the mothers in this community who make families feel safe, loved, and whole every single day. Grateful for Bowen. Grateful for the staff at Newport Hospital who helped us welcome him into this world.
Wishing everyone a beautiful and blessed Mother’s Day, I hope it’s surrounded by the people you love most.
