Being Mary
Mary Johnson Van Den Berge is a "wear your heart on your sleeve" kind of woman, an unapologetic bookworm, and an online shopping champion. She devours murder mysteries in every form — whether in books or podcasts — with an enthusiasm that surprises even herself. Raised on a farm near St. Marys in Southwestern Ontario, she now calls Petrolia home, nestled in Ontario’s scenic “banana belt.”
Mary is a proud advocate for women’s rights and believes deeply in the power of honest conversation. On her podcast, she creates a safe and open space for women to explore the emotional layers of life—through candid conversations about relationships, identity, healing, motherhood, and more. It’s not just her story anymore—it’s all of ours.
Being Mary
Motherhood Looks Different this Mother's Day
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Motherhood… didn’t look the way I expected.
And if I’m being honest…
I don’t think I fully understood my own mom
until much later.
This episode is a reflection on that—
on love, hindsight, and how motherhood changes over time.
And a quiet question I’ve been sitting with:
What does Mother’s Day look like
when your daughters are mothers too?
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Hi… it’s Mary.
And this is Being Mary —
where we talk about growing older,
staying curious,
and living fully in the chapter we’re in.
This week… feels like a natural pause.
Mother’s Day just passed…
and I’ve been thinking a lot about motherhood.
Not the version I imagined…
but the one I actually lived.
When I was younger,
I thought motherhood would be…
you know…
sweet moments… meaningful conversations…
maybe a few challenges…
but mostly manageable.
And then…
it turned out to be sticky fingerprints…
sleepless nights…
and kids who somehow knew everything…
especially when they became adults. 😊
And here’s what’s been sitting with me lately…
I don’t think I gave my own mom
enough credit.
Not really.
She’s been gone now for almost seven years…
and there are still moments
where I think…
“I should call Mom…”
And then I remember.
And what I wouldn’t give…
for just one more conversation.
Not a big one.
Just something ordinary.
Because now…
I understand things I didn’t back then.
The quiet worry.
The constant thinking about your children.
The way motherhood
never really ends…
it just changes shape.
And something else
I’ve been thinking about…
What happens when your daughters
become mothers too?
Who is Mother’s Day for then?
Do we step back?
Do we share it?
Do we still hold
a little piece of it for ourselves?
I don’t think there’s
a perfect answer.
But maybe…
it becomes less about being celebrated…
and more about recognizing the thread.
The line that connects us…
from mother…
to daughter…
to mother again.
Motherhood definitely didn’t look
the way I expected.
It was harder.
Messier.
And yes… sometimes exhausting.
But it was also…
full of moments
I didn’t realize were important
until they were gone.
If your mom is still here…
maybe give her a call.
And if she’s not…
maybe just sit for a moment…
and remember something small.
Because those are the things
that stay with us.
And if you’re a mother…
in any stage of it…
I hope you know this:
You probably did better
than you think.
This is Being Mary…
And remember, the best chapters
are still ahead.