When Mother's Day is Sad

Every year I repost a blog I did a few years ago about Mother’s Day, but this year I decided to write a different one. 
Mother’s Day is a wonderful holiday and for sure needs to be celebrated. Let’s face it being a mom is hard work. Just this past week Heath was out of town so I was solo parenting. Let me just pause there and give a huge shout out to single moms, moms whose husbands are in the military and any other situation where you find yourself solo mom-ing it. You're a rock star.  Anyway Heath was out of town and one night I put my kids to bed at 6:25 because I just couldn’t do it for one more second. So yeah, it’s hard work. It’s also one of the greatest joys of my life. I love these kids so so so much. I want to be celebrated as a mom!

At the same time Mother’s Day is really sad for me and I know it's sad for others. 

When I was 15 my mom passed away from a battle with cancer. Words cannot express how badly I wish she were here to celebrate, to be celebrated by her grandkids. I was just thinking the other day how much she would love them! So even though I will be celebrating this weekend, there will also be a bit of sadness that comes along with it.

I have a few friends who have lost their moms this past year and I have been thinking all week how hard it is going to be for them. This Mother’s Day will be sad for them.

Another way it’s sad is that even though I’m already a mother I still have the desire to have more kids and that is just not my reality right now and I’m not sure if it ever will be my reality. I’m unbelievably thankful for the children the Lord has provided for us, but there’s still the hope for more that just isn’t fulfilled yet and that makes me sad.  

There are SO many women around me who are struggling with infertility or who have experienced the pain of a miscarriage. Mother’s Day is sad for them and it makes me sad for them too. It’s not a pity for them, just a sadness knowing that either they so desperately want to be a mom and can’t be or they thought that through this holiday there would be another child-either pregnant, having the child already or bringing one home through adoption. Those women will be sad on Sunday. 

For others, there is an estranged relationship with their mom. Mother’s Day is a day that brings sadness because the relationship they want just is never going to be a reality. Maybe the day brings up bitterness and anger instead of joy and celebration. 

I say all this to say, this Mother’s Day as you celebrate the mother’s in life or are celebrated yourself, be aware that for some people Mother’s Day is a sad day. For me, it’s a mixture of emotions and for many others it probably is too. My advice would be to know there are women around you in each of these categories and that are sad-look for opportunities to love on those women around you who may be sad on Mother’s Day.