Mother’s Day isn’t happy for everyone. While some people are filled with joy and appreciation for their mom, others are filled with sadness and pains of loss. If you know someone who mourns on Mother’s Day, whether that be for their mom or another woman in their life, there are some simple ways you can help.
Simply reaching out is one of the best ways to make people feel less alone when mourning. When you’re mourning on Mother’s Day it’s really easy to feel like you should just fade into the background, and if you know someone who does this you should reach out to them. Send them a simple “love you” text, or stop by to spend some time with them. I wouldn’t recommend inviting them to celebrate Mother’s Day with you and your mom though, because that can be stressful and feel like pity. We had a mom/grandma/aunt, we don’t want to replace her, we just want to have her with us.
Let us grieve too. Don’t push us to be happy or talk, let us use this day to mourn. Even if we come out with you and decide to leave early to go grieve, don’t try to stop us. The best thing to do is ask if we want you to accompany us, but definitely don’t try to prevent grief. It is cathartic.
If we cry we are releasing pain, so you should just hold us and let us cry. Feel free to knock on the door if we are taking a little bit too long in the bathroom, but don’t rush us or tell us to stop. Letting it out is important, and you being there is comforting.
There are more tips on how to help your loved ones who mourn on this holiday, but just remember to be there.