My grandmother - my inspiration - was a single mom with nine

Hear the words of Jessica McDonald, spoken with reverence for the one who shaped her life: “My grandmother—my inspiration—was a single mom with nine kids, and she helped raise me.” In this short but powerful remembrance lies a story of resilience, sacrifice, and generational strength. It is not merely the honoring of one woman, but the lifting up of countless women whose unseen labors have built families, communities, and nations.

The heart of McDonald’s words is the triumph of endurance. To be a single mother with nine children is no small task; it is a daily battle against exhaustion, against want, against despair. And yet, this grandmother bore her burden not only with courage but with love so abundant that she took on the raising of another child—her granddaughter. In this act, she shows us the heroic truth: greatness is not always found in stadiums or crowns, but often in kitchens, in late nights of work, in arms that hold when others falter.

The ancients told of heroes with swords and shields, but they also knew of heroes who fought quieter battles. Consider Cornelia, mother of the Gracchi, who, when asked to display her jewels, presented her children instead, saying, “These are my treasures.” Like McDonald’s grandmother, Cornelia’s strength was not in wealth but in the lives she nurtured. Both reveal the eternal teaching: that the raising of children is the noblest labor, one whose fruits endure beyond monuments and empires.

For Jessica McDonald, a champion on the field, the root of her own resilience can be traced to the soil her grandmother tilled. Every victory, every goal, carries within it the echo of her grandmother’s sacrifices. This is the mystery of inspiration: that one person’s quiet courage can ripple through generations, shaping destinies yet unborn. To remember this is to honor not only the famous, but the humble, not only the seen, but the unseen.

Her story also speaks of the power of women, often underestimated, often overlooked, yet bearing burdens that would break many men. To mother nine children alone, to stand as pillar and provider, is an act of unyielding might. And when she took Jessica into her care, she did not simply raise a child—she raised an athlete, a leader, a woman who now carries her story into the world. This is legacy: the passing of fire from one generation to the next.

The lesson is clear: honor those who came before you, especially those whose labors gave you strength. Do not forget the hands that fed you, the voices that guided you, the sacrifices that made your path possible. For every triumph you achieve is not yours alone—it is shared with those who bore the burdens you could not. To forget them is to dishonor your own story.

Practical is this counsel: speak often of your inspirations. Tell the stories of your parents, your grandparents, your teachers, your mentors, so their sacrifices live on. Let their courage guide you when your own strength falters. And, in turn, live so that you may become someone else’s inspiration, leaving behind not only achievements, but love and resilience that outlast time.

Thus Jessica McDonald’s words shine like a beacon: “My grandmother—my inspiration—was a single mom with nine kids, and she helped raise me.” It is a reminder that heroes are not only those who stand on stages, but those who stand in the shadows, carrying the weight of many and asking nothing in return. Let us honor them, live by their example, and become pillars for those who will walk after us.