April Showers bring May Flowers. Do you know what else the end of April and heading into May bring? Mother’s Day. President Woodrow Wilson established Mother’s Day as a national holiday in 1912. Anna Jarvis was credited with the idea as a way of honoring the sacrifices mothers made for their children.
I love the idea of Mother’s Day, but somehow, the holiday has lost some appeal. You see, I am one of many moms who anticipated Mother’s Day with a bit of dread. One in five pregnancies end in miscarriage. One in ten women struggles with infertility. One in four women experience abortion. That is in addition to moms who bury a child, teenager, young adult, or any age adult (cause parents aren’t supposed to bury their child) and children who bury their moms.
So, what can you do to redeem that day? Acknowledge that loss, process your feelings, and grieve in healthy ways. I would also encourage you to find a way to love someone around you who might be dreading the reminders that Mother’s Day is coming.
To that end, this year, our church is inviting ladies in the North Dallas/Collin County area to a special “Grieving Mother’s Day Tea” on April 27th at 10 AM at Woodcreek Church. This event is designed to honor and embrace mothers and grandmothers who have endured the loss of a child at any age, through miscarriage, or are facing the challenges of infertility, known as “moms in waiting.” It’s a day to gather, share, and find a community that understands the journey. If you are in the area, please join us.
If you are not in the area but like the idea, please steal it! We did! Thanks, Hope Dawning, for allowing us to experience the joy of connecting with your moms for the past five-plus years.
As Erma Bombeck famously said, “On Mother’s Day, I can think of no mother more deserving than a mother who had to give one back.”
