What To Do When Mothers Day Isn’t Happy

Hello, Lovelies,

For some, this is a happy time to celebrate Mother’s Day with their family in different ways, and it can be a joyous time. For others, it can be a sad time if their mother has passed away, a child has passed away, or a couple has been longing to have children and cannot conceive. There can be various reasons why this Mother’s Day may not be happy. I wanted to provide a few ways to get through the day. My mother went to heaven more than twenty years ago, and these suggestions continue to help me over the years.

1. Pray – Every day, I pray for strength and wisdom and ask God for His guidance. My mother believed in God and that Jesus Christ died for our sins, so I know she is in heaven. However, I miss her and realize that is okay. I need God’s strength because the grief and sorrow can feel like too much to bear. I know that having a daily prayer life is a must for me.
2. Grieve – Allow yourself time to grieve. It is not healthy to keep the feelings bottled up on the inside. If you need counseling, I would recommend that you get it. However, you need to make sure that you find the right person who can positively speak into your life. My former church taught if you cry and sorrow over a lost loved one, you are in unbelief. I disagree with that statement because everyone handles the situation in their own way.
3. Time – Everyone is different and so will be the amount of time that is needed to grieve or deal with the sorrow of losing your mother. Don’t let anyone tell you that it has been ‘long enough’ and you should just get over it.
4. Write – Write down what you love about your mother and what you are grateful for. Did she have specific words of wisdom that you can take with you through life today? If you collect those thoughts in a journal, they will be in one place when you need comforting during a difficult time.
5. Don’t Compare – Do not compare your life with others, you have to run your race. It is easy to look at other families and think how great it is for them or how wonderful everything is. Just remember that you are only looking at the surface and the image that they want you to see. No family is perfect, and every family has their own story to tell. They may just not want you to see it or they are too afraid to let anyone know the truth, or they may have been living the lie for so long that they no longer know what their own truth is. Comparison is a race that you can’t win because you see only a small piece of someone’s life and you are comparing it with your whole life.
6. Reflect – Meditate and reflect on your mother and remember with gratitude how she raised you. It may not have been the ideal situation, but it is because of her that you are here today. God gave you life and through her, you were brought into this world to accomplish His will and purpose.
7. Help someone – I have often been told that when you are down find someone that you can help or talk to and offer words of encouragement.

With these suggestions may this mothers day bring you peace in your heart and remember you are not alone.