Happy Mother’s Day to All the Mothers of Many 

Happy Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers. Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers to be. Happy Mother’s Day to those who have lost mothers. Happy Mother’s Day to those who hope to be mothers. Happy Mother’s Day to those of us who are mothers of angels. Happy Mother’s Day to those of who who never get to mother in the traditional sense of the word.

Actually, I challenge… Happy Mother’s Day to all women!

Because if I have learned anything throughout my own recovery I have learned that we are all mothers of some kind especially considering we tend to be full of compassion and putting others above ourselves almost always.

However, this Mother’s Day, I will not be woken up at the crack of dawn by my little ones surprising me with handmade cards and pancakes in bed. I will not get a bouquet of dandelions picked from the yard. I will not be acknowledged by the majority of people in my life as today being any different than any other day.

But, I will be woken early by Gertie’s growling tummy, Gracie’s cold nose and Bosco’s gentle snoring. I will spend the day with my furry children and my husband, not unlike any other regular Sunday but all the while knowing that Mother’s Day will be bittersweet for me the rest of my life.

I will spend the day allowing myself to feel the anger at how unfair it can feel that I won’t ever get the joy of my children making this day all about me. I will spend my day allowing myself to feel the sadness at the lifelong costs and losses of infertility. I will spend the day at peace with my recovery and my work in accepting a childfree life. I will spend the day happy with my enough moments, my struggles and my light.

I will spend the day thinking of those three tiny souls in heaven  never meant to bloom here.

And, I will honor myself this day because I am a mother to many.

I will remind myself, as I want to remind all the mothers out there, to take care of ourselves, especially on this day. Make sure you receive care, from your loved ones and from yourself, because it is only through filling ourselves up that we can truly give and care for others.

So, on this angering, saddening, peaceful and happy day for me, I wish us all an ever upward Happy Mother’s Day because I have no doubt we all mother something or someone in our lives.