Mother's Day is Not For Everyone...and That's Okay

249 words

2 minute read

Posts are everywhere today celebrating mothers.

There are also a subset of people (mostly trauma survivors) who acknowledge today is a complicated day at best.

It's okay if today is hard.

It's okay if today is just a day.

It's okay if today you choose to celebrate someone else, or if you choose not to celebrate at all.

It's okay if all you want to do is sit at home in your pajamas and watch Tangled.  It's okay if you want to celebrate a sibling who took care of you.  Or celebrate yourself - for getting yourself through an unbelievably tough childhood!

(I see you.  Great job.  You're here.  And that's amazing.)

[Siblings walk through an ominous landscape together]

It makes sense if complicated feelings come up today.  If you panic at not getting your parent that card.  Those flowers.  That gift.  Because what will it mean if they are not affirmed?

It makes sense if you ache a little (or a lot) even if your childhood was dark, grieving what you didn't have.  What you should have had.

It makes sense if seeing mothers care for their children (even in basic ways) makes you emotional.

It makes sense if you can't watch movies like Moana, or Frozen 2, ever again, because the representation hurts.

Whatever you are feeling today?  

It makes sense.

Whatever you went through, I believe you.

Take gentle care of yourself today.

Tomorrow's coming soon.

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