Mother's Day

I wonder what Mother's Day means to you. It may cover a large range of emotions, perhaps:

Joy & thankfulness

- for your mother, and your relationship with her

- for your own children, and your relationship with them

- for the encouragement it is to see you mother or children continuing on in the faith and growing stronger

Sadness

- at the distance that separates you from your mother or your children

- because you are estranged from your mother or your children, and you long to repair the rift

- because you watch them make choices that you disagree with, and wonder how to support them

Grief

- at the loss of your mother

- at the loss of your child

- at the loss of the chance to become a mother

Tiredness

- because of the day-to-day realities of being a mum

- because of the need for you to care for your elderly mother

We all experience these emotions at different times, but Mother's Day is one of those days that can bring them out a little more.

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Girltalk blog has also been picking up these themes in the last few days:

Her children rise up and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:28

Do you have a hard time picturing this ever happening to you? Oh sure, your kids “rise up”--all the time! Your baby may “rise up” and call (very loudly) at 1:00 am and 2:30 am and 5:00 am. Your toddler might “rise up” with temper tantrums or endless calls to meet his needs. Your school-age child might “rise up” and call you to take her to this activity and help her with that book report. Your teenager may “rise up” in anger at your decisions and call you “strict” or “unfair.”

It may be very hard to imagine your children ever rising up to obey you, rising up to ask for your advice, rising up to thank you, rising up to follow your example, rising up to serve you, rising up to call you blessed.

Carolyn encourages mums to continue on, for you will reap if you continue, read the rest here - in a A Weary Mother's Day.

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And also in A Sad Mother's Day, Carolyn writes about the grief that can be present on Mother's Day.

For you, weariness is merely the byproduct of numbing sadness. You don’t even want to think about Mother’s Day. A day that reminds everyone else of what they have, reminds you of what you’ve lost—as if you needed another reminder.

Maybe your child has rebelled and doesn’t want anything to do with your family. Or maybe you’ve lost a child through death.

I wish I knew the right words to say to you. If I could sit with you today, I would want you to know how inadequate I feel to comfort you. I know that no words of mine can dull the pain. But after I had grieved with you awhile I would remind you of the comfort of the cross.

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Whatever your emotions on Mother's Day, I hope you have a chance to stop and:

- give thanks for those women who have mothered you and cared for you

- to pray for yourself as you mother and care for the children around you

And to my Mum - I thank God for you.



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A late addition from another blog The Pipers - talking about the grief on Mother's Day after losing a child, both the post and the comments are especially poignant.

Photos from stock.xchng