Mother's Day and I have had an uneasy relationship over the years.
In our will-we-ever-be-parents days, it was a reminder of something that seemed tantalizingly out of reach. On the first Mother's Day after my daughter was born, it was a celebration of a dream come true. The next year, and the next, and the next, when we had a new baby in Heaven each year, it was torture.
In our will-we-ever-be-parents days, it was a reminder of something that seemed tantalizingly out of reach. On the first Mother's Day after my daughter was born, it was a celebration of a dream come true. The next year, and the next, and the next, when we had a new baby in Heaven each year, it was torture.
Today, we have called a truce, I think. I can handle it as the celebration of my own mother and mother-in-law, and I enjoy the love showered on me by my living children, but it is hard to enjoy fully when I know how much pain the day brings to so many women.
Church is one of the hardest places to be on Mother's Day. Depending on how a church observes this day (and here are some sensitive suggestions!), you may have to deal with motherhood superlatives (the oldest, the newest, the most children, etc.), the request that all mothers stand to be recognized, trying to decide if you deserve a flower if all your children are in Heaven, or a sermon about motherhood. There may also be a slideshow extolling the wonders of mothers - and even when they strive to be sensitive, I have yet to see one that recognizes the mother who has had to let her child go to Heaven.
The video below is my response to that. It is simple, and also thorough. It is also less than four minutes, so could easily be used in a church service. I share this here for any to freely use and share with others, as long as you give me credit (my name is at the beginning of the video). It is also on Youtube if you want to watch it there or share the link.
I hope it encourages others. If Mother's Day is hard for you, I also invite you to read some of my others articles about this holiday.
Church is one of the hardest places to be on Mother's Day. Depending on how a church observes this day (and here are some sensitive suggestions!), you may have to deal with motherhood superlatives (the oldest, the newest, the most children, etc.), the request that all mothers stand to be recognized, trying to decide if you deserve a flower if all your children are in Heaven, or a sermon about motherhood. There may also be a slideshow extolling the wonders of mothers - and even when they strive to be sensitive, I have yet to see one that recognizes the mother who has had to let her child go to Heaven.
The video below is my response to that. It is simple, and also thorough. It is also less than four minutes, so could easily be used in a church service. I share this here for any to freely use and share with others, as long as you give me credit (my name is at the beginning of the video). It is also on Youtube if you want to watch it there or share the link.
I hope it encourages others. If Mother's Day is hard for you, I also invite you to read some of my others articles about this holiday.
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