Remembering The “Forgotten” Mothers on Mother’s Day
For many mothers, Mother’s Day is a day to be endured and survived, not celebrated. I learned this on Mother’s Day 2006. Our first born son had been stillborn and we’d buried him less than a month before. I remember going to church that day and noticing that a baby baptism ceremony had been planned for that day. I actually had to leave the service because I just wasn’t able to handle it.
Mother’s Day can be a difficult day for moms. I think of the older mother who buried her child and is helping to raise her grandchildren. I am reminded of my step mother, who loved and raised us after our mother’s untimely death. She never made a distinction between her biological children and her step-children. That’s a mom alright!
I also think of the many mothers with children in the military. Some of these mothers will spend their day worrying about their children. Perhaps some have gotten the call that no parent ever wants to get: they have been told that their child has made the ultimate sacrifice and given their life in service to their country.
For many years, I was a single mother of young children. Being alone on Mother’s Day was always depressing for me. One year, my friend from college called and invited me to spend the day with her family. Every year after that, my children and I would spend the day with her family. I remember those holiday celebrations with great fondness.
As you are planning your Mother’s Day activities this year,  remember the “forgotten” mothers.  Whether you send a card, give flowers, or thank them for their sacrifice, your efforts will be appreciated.
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Melissa H says...
Thank you for this post. I too have lost babies. My daughter lived for two days and my son for 45 minutes. Mother’s day was a day of tears for me until my daughter was born safe and sound in 2007, a day as you say to be endured not enjoyed. My own mother will be celebrating mother’s day with only two of her three children as my brother is over seas in Afghanistan. I will say this though…. as a mommy of angels who did not have any living babies for several years I greatly appreciated the people who recognized that I was a mother and offered a quiet “Happy Mother’s day” because I felt the need to be recognized even if my children were in the arms of their father instead of my arms.
Judy @ MommyNewsBlog says...
Thanks for the reminder. I have a good friend who is going through a very ugly divorce and her family is out of the country – I’m going to do something special for her this mother’s day. I know she could use the pick-me-up!
Judy @ MommyNewsBlogs last blog post..Inner Wisdom