Beyond the Runway: Mothering beyond Biology, Planting Beyond Ourselves

May 10, 2026 Features / Columnists, News

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By Sonia Noel

(Kaieteur News) – I have just returned from what was truly a beautiful and productive journey through two Caribbean islands that both hold very special places in my heart: Saint Lucia and Barbados.

Saint Lucia remains, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean. There is a warmth there that goes beyond the scenery. Over the years, I have built lasting friendships, created meaningful memories, and experienced moments that continue to shape me personally and professionally. Barbados, on the other hand, will always carry a different kind of significance for me because it is the only place I have ever lived outside of Guyana. There will always be an element of home there for me.

This trip felt especially meaningful.

For the first time in many years, I will not be staying for the final climax of the Saint Lucia Jazz Festival, which traditionally falls on Mother’s Day. Usually, I remain there through the celebrations, but this year is different. This year, I am returning home to spend Mother’s Day with my own mother, and I am deeply looking forward to that.

There is something profoundly special about mothers and the love they carry. It is a kind of love that shapes us quietly and consistently. I love my mother beyond words, and one of the greatest blessings in my life knows that love is reciprocated.

As I moved through this trip, however, I also found myself reflecting on motherhood in a broader way.

While in Saint Lucia, I had two wonderful interviews within twenty-four hours, one on television and one on radio. The first was with phenomenal Candy Nicholas on her programme The WELL NEST Show, where she explores how we can live healthier and more intentional lives through wellness, nutrition, and mindset.

Our conversation centered around something I often speak about: the internal wardrobe.

We spoke about the idea that who we are before we get dressed matters deeply. That confidence, emotional wellness, self-worth, and identity influence not only how we present ourselves to the world, but how we care for ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Fashion and wellness are more connected than many people realize.

It was a meaningful conversation, but what happened afterward touched me even more.

Following the interview, I received a call from a teacher in Saint Lucia named Priscilla Philip-Khodra, Head of the Vocational Department at Castries Comprehensive Secondary School. She shared that the interview resonated deeply with her and aligned perfectly with work they are currently doing around sustainable fashion and revitalizing their textiles and fashion programme.

She spoke passionately about wanting students to see fashion differently, not just as clothing, but as identity, creativity, sustainability, and purpose. She also expressed interest in collaborating and creating stronger connections between education and the international fashion industry.

What moved me most was not simply the invitation to collaborate, but the reminder that our words travel further than we realize.

Sometimes we speak, share, encourage, or tell our stories without fully understanding whose life may be impacted on the other side of that conversation.

That moment reminded me that platforms matter.

Whether we are speaking on television, on radio, in classrooms, online, or even in casual conversation, we are constantly planting seeds. The question is: what kind of seeds are we planting?

Are they seeds of division or healing? Fear or possibility? and Discouragement or hope?

As I reflected on that, another experience from the trip came to mind.

My radio interview SHE SPEAKES with fantastic Mareen Alexander was equally meaningful. We connected instantly, and I appreciated the energy and authenticity of our conversation. After the interview, and just before heading to the airport, I stopped to pick up one of my favorite Saint Lucian breakfasts: roast bake, saltfish, and cocoa.

As I entered the restaurant, someone recognized me from previous visits to Saint Lucia and immediately began speaking about the interview. The owner, who is a friend of Maureen, complimented my outfit and mentioned that my collection is available at

Risk Couture in Saint Lucia. When I was about to pay for breakfast, she insisted that I not pay.

It may seem like a small gesture, but moments like these are deeply meaningful to me. Not because of the meal itself, but because it reinforced something important: relationships matter. People are listening. People are paying attention.

And when what you share comes from a place of authenticity and purpose, it can reach people in ways you may never fully know.

That is why I believe we must be intentional with our words and our platforms. Words carry energy. Words shape environments. Words can nourish or damage. They can limit or liberate.

In many ways, nurturing people through our words, guidance, and example is also a form of motherhood.

As I reflected on these experiences while preparing to return home to my mother, I began thinking deeply about motherhood itself and how often we define it too narrowly.

Motherhood is not only biological.

Yes, there is immense beauty in giving birth and raising children, but there is also another form of mothering that exists in our communities every single day.

There are women who mother through mentorship.

Women who nurture through teaching; women who encourage, guide, uplift, and protect the next generation; women who create safe spaces; women who see potential in others before they see it in themselves; women who plant seeds of confidence, healing, discipline, creativity, and hope. That too is motherhood.

And perhaps that is why the call from that teacher touched me so deeply. It reminded me that every time we share knowledge, offer encouragement, mentor a young person, or create opportunities for growth, we are participating in the act of nurturing the future.

We are mothering possibility.

As I continue my own journey, I feel increasingly called to spend more time engaging with young people, especially in schools across Guyana and throughout the region. I want the next generation to understand that success is not only about achievement, but about character, self-awareness, wellness, and purpose.

I want them to know that who they are internally matters just as much as what they wear externally.

I want them to understand that fashion can be connected to sustainability, confidence, culture, and identity.

Most importantly, I want them to understand that they have the power to create lives and communities they are proud of.

Sometimes we underestimate how deeply encouragement can impact a person’s direction. One conversation can shift perspective. One opportunity can build confidence. One person believing in you can change your trajectory entirely.

That is why mentorship matters. That is why intentional leadership matters. And that is why motherhood, in all its forms, matters.

As I prepare to spend Mother’s Day with my own mother, I do so with deep gratitude. Gratitude not only for the life she gave me, but for the countless ways she nurtured, guided, protected, and shaped me into the woman I continue becoming.

But I am also reflecting on the many women across our communities who may never give birth, yet continue to mother through service, compassion, wisdom, creativity, and care.

May we celebrate them too; may we continue to use our voices, our gifts, and our platforms to uplift others; may we continue planting seeds that grow into flourishing gardens long after we are gone.

And as we reflect on motherhood in all its beautiful forms, let us continue to celebrate this beautiful journey called life BEYOND THE RUNWAY.

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• Biological parents, biology, Mothering, Sonia Noel

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