Mother's Day

Mother's Day. Gosh, so many beautiful mothers to celebrate. And, it can be a tough day for some as well. Maybe you wanted to be a mother, but it just didn't happen for you. Maybe, like me, your body carried many babies for a while, but for whatever reason wasn't able to sustain life for long enough. Or, you've lost your mother or grandmother and you feel their loss keenly on this day. Or, most terribly, you've lost a child that you've held and fed and loved with every fiber of your being. 

I have to remember when these feelings of loss are sharp enough to cut that it is all based in love. 

Artwork by Francine Piatigorski.

And then I get separate messages from two dear friends. One saying,

Hope you get spoiled like the amazing mom/friend/sister-to-all that you are.

and the other saying

Happy Mother's Day to pet moms - because pets are family too.

And I am filled to the brim with gratitude.

I will never have that completely unique and life-altering experience of being a mother, but there are many ways to be maternal. I love caring for people, pets, and plants. I am head over heels in love with my nieces and nephews, my godson, and my time-share kids (you know who you are). My life is so full of love, but it's important to acknowledge the loss too. 

Happy Mother's Day to all who are maternal. To the gentle, the nurturers, the ones who sing lullabies and gather people into their arms. To those of the soft bosoms and the even softer hearts - may love always outweigh the loss in your life.