Watching The Help always takes me back to some of the most powerful lessons I learned growing up, especially when I think about the relationships between the mothers and daughters in the film. With Mother’s Day around the corner, I can’t help but reflect on the deep bond between the women in the movie and how it mirrors so much of my own experiences with my mom.
Viola Davis’s portrayal of Aibileen is particularly poignant to me as I think about the mothers who give so much of themselves without asking for much in return. Aibileen’s love for the children she cares for feels so raw, and the way she holds her pain inside while still being a nurturing figure for the kids around her reminded me so much of my own mom. She never let on just how hard things were sometimes—whether it was financial struggles or personal losses—but she always made sure that we felt loved and cared for, even when life was tough. It made me realize how much of her strength went unnoticed, much like Aibileen’s character.
Then there’s Minny, with all her sass and humor, which makes me think about the way mothers often have to balance the hard moments with laughter to keep going. My mom has this incredible ability to crack a joke even in the most difficult times, which always made me feel like things would be okay, no matter what we were facing. It’s the kind of love that isn’t just about the easy moments but about finding the strength to keep going through the tough ones.
Skeeter’s journey in The Help also got me thinking about how we, as children, sometimes see our mothers’ sacrifices only in hindsight. Skeeter comes to understand the depth of the pain that the maids—especially Aibileen and Minny—have gone through, and it made me realize how much my own mom has done for me that I didn’t fully appreciate until I got older. When we’re kids, it’s easy to take our parents’ love and support for granted, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become so much more aware of the sacrifices my mom made, and it makes me want to honor her in a way that reflects how much I truly see her.
What struck me most, especially as we approach Mother’s Day, is how the movie highlights the small, everyday acts of resilience and love that often go unnoticed. It’s easy to forget that sometimes the most profound impact a mother has isn’t in grand gestures, but in the quiet moments—the late-night talks, the comforting hugs, the sacrifices made for the family that no one else might ever fully understand. Just like Aibileen and Minny, my mom’s strength wasn’t always loud or visible to others, but it shaped everything about who I am.
This Mother’s Day, I’m reminded that these quiet, everyday acts of love are what make mothers so extraordinary. It’s about the strength to keep going even when the world isn’t fair, the ability to show up every day for your children, and the deep, unwavering love that exists even when things are hard. Watching The Help made me realize that my mom’s love is a gift that I’ll never be able to fully repay, but I’m going to keep showing up for her in the way that she has for me. And that, in itself, feels like the best way to honor her.