Yahoo Finance Melinda Gates shares heartfelt Mother’s Day post following divorce announcement
Melinda Gates has reflected on her love of being a parent in a Mother’s Day tribute, marking her first social media post since she and Bill Gates announced their divorce.
On Sunday, the mother-of-three celebrated Mother’s Day with a throwback photo of herself and the couple’s children, Jennifer, 25, Rory, 21, and Phoebe, 18, which she shared on her Instagram and Twitter.
In the photo, Rory can be seen with his arm wrapped around his mother, while the family laughs and smiles in the grass.
In the caption, the philanthropist wrote: “I love being their mother. To anyone celebrating a mom or a mother figure, honouring a memory of someone you loved, or reflecting on your own resilience today, I hope your day is a meaningful one.”
This is not the first time that Melinda has opened up about motherhood in honour of Mother’s Day, as she previously penned an essay about the holiday for Marie Claire in 2018.
In the piece, the 56-year-old reflected on her decisions to quit working to become a stay-at-home mother when her children were born, as well as her eventual decision to return to work when they got older.
According to Melinda, the choice to return to work came down to one thing: “If I wanted my daughters and son to truly believe that women can do anything, I needed to model that for them.”
I love being their mother. Whatever Mother's Day means to you—a day to celebrate a mom, honor a memory, or reflect on your own resilience—I hope your day is a meaningful one. pic.twitter.com/a85NFwFzcp
— Melinda French Gates (@melindagates) May 9, 2021
At the time, the mother-of-three also said that her hope for Mother’s Day was that her daughters would have the freedom to make their own decisions.
“This Mother’s Day, my hope for my daughters – and all of our daughters – is that they will have the freedom to make the decisions that work for them, the chance to live the lives they dream of, and that they will always live in a world that values the stories of women and their experiences,” she wrote.
Melinda’s sweet tribute celebrating this year’s Mother’s Day comes after she and the Microsoft cofounder announced on Monday their intention to end their marriage after 27 years.
At the time, the couple announced the decision in a joint statement, which read: “After a great deal of thought and a lot of work on our relationship, we have made the decision to end our marriage. Over the last 27 years, we have raised three incredible children and built a foundation that works all over the world to enable all people to lead healthy, productive lives.
“We continue to share a belief in that mission and will continue our work together at the foundation, but we no longer believe we can grow together as a couple in this next phase of our lives.”
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