Grief and Loss,  Holidays and Hard Days

Bereaved Mother’s Day, A Way To Remember

Did you know that the Sunday before Mother’s Day is a day of remembrance? It is International Bereaved Mother’s Day. It recognizes those who have lost a child or cannot be a mother due to infertility or other health reasons. From miscarriage and stillbirths to SIDS and death of children, teens, young adults, and adult children, mammas of any age are not designed to bury their child. It goes against the natural order of life. From the moment a mom first recognizes she is pregnant till the day she buries that child, everything screams of her love and care for the life she bore.

You probably won’t find a card at Hallmark for the occasion. How would it look to read, “Happy Bereaved Mother’s Day!” What is happy about that? What is there to celebrate?  And who would think to send such a card?

Having been the mom of both a stillbirth/miscarriage son and a teenage son, I can tell you what there is to celebrate for me. I applaud the gift of life and love they brought for a season. I remember moments, even during pregnancy, of dreaming of my boys. I treasure all the big and small events in Bryan’s life. His laughter; the sound of his growing manly voice; the companionship of rides to school, church, and activities; the smell of his stinky feet; the tough of his hugs or shoves; the pleasure of hearing his name.

So, this Sunday, I will recognize the precious lives NO ONE will ever replace. I will laugh, cry, and remember and treasure the gift of their lives. And if I hear someone mention their name, I will probably laugh and cry and cherish that moment.

#RememberingBryan17
#RememberingDavid00

Julie Thomas has a degree in secondary education from Baylor University. She taught and coached for nine years at the secondary level before serving 30 years for Real Options, a pregnancy clinic in Allen, Texas. Her passion is equipping volunteers to talk with women dealing with an unplanned pregnancies. Julie has been married to Marcus for 30+ years, and they have four children: Rachael, Robin, Sara, and Bryan. In 2017, Julie’s life changed forever when she lost her 16-year-old son. Learning to deal with loss in Julie’s life led her to begin a grief ministry, become a certificate in Mental Health Coaching with an understanding of Grief and Loss. REBUILD, Finding Hope After Loss was written by Willow Creek Church in Chicago.