This is my mom. Adorable, right?
She hasn't changed a bit.
I thought I'd write this thoughtful and mom-high-fiving post about Mother's Day, but I've always felt a little uncomfortable with the holiday. It seems as if we often compete on social media for who has the best mom while those struggling with the day are forced into grieving silence.
Do I think my mom is better than yours? Absolutely. Is it okay for me to post an Instagram picture to prove it? Sure.
Note: These towels hanging from my mother's oven represent her two basic approaches to life.
However, I think it would be a mistake to ignore how painful this day may be for some. One of my favorite pieces on this topic was penned by Amy Young at The Messy Middle.
It's called The Wide Spectrum of Mothering:
To those who gave birth this year to their first child—we celebrate with you
To those who lost a child this year – we mourn with you
To those who are in the trenches with little ones every day and wear the badge of food
stains – we appreciate you
To those who experienced loss through miscarriage, failed adoptions, or running away—we
mourn with you
To those who walk the hard path of infertility, fraught with pokes, prods, tears, and
disappointment – we walk with you. Forgive us when we say foolish things. We don’t
mean to make this harder than it is
To those who are foster moms, mentor moms, and spiritual moms – we need you
To those who have warm and close relationships with your children – we celebrate with you
To those who have disappointment, heart ache, and distance with your children – we sit
with you
To those who lost their mothers this year – we grieve with you
To those who experienced abuse at the hands of your own mother – we acknowledge your
experience
To those who lived through driving tests, medical tests, and the overall testing of
motherhood – we are better for having you in our midst
To those who have aborted children - we remember them and you on this day
To those who are single and long to be married and mothering your own children - we mourn
that life has not turned out the way you longed for it to be
To those who step-parent - we walk with you on these complex paths
To those who envisioned lavishing love on grandchildren, yet that dream is not to be - we
grieve with you
To those who will have emptier nests in the upcoming year – we grieve and rejoice with you
To those who placed children up for adoption – we commend you for your selflessness and
remember how you hold that child in your heart
And to those who are pregnant with new life, both expected and surprising –we anticipate
with you
This Mother’s Day, we walk with you.
Mothering is not for the faint of heart and we have real warriors in our midst. We remember you.
I'm thankful for all the warriors. Especially my own.
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