Bittersweet

Mother's Day, as is true for many holidays, is an emotionally painful day for some people. In some cases it's because one's mother has passed away or because of a strained relationship. For several years I avoided going to church on Mother's Day because it was just too painful for me as my longing to become a mother hadn't been fulfilled yet. The last five years it has been a joyous occasion for me because the Lord graciously enabled me to become a mother in 2008. My pain from the years of struggling with singleness and then infertility has faded away, but I still find myself partially dreading this holiday each year. The sadness I feel now is not about me but rather from thinking of the women for whom this is still such a hard day. For example, I think of a close friend of mine who is in her 50's and has never held a child of her own in her arms. She lost one baby through an ectopic pregnancy, and she and her husband pursued adoption at one point, but she has never been able to experience motherhood. Every Mother's Day I pray for these women. If I am in church and they ask the mothers to stand on Mother's Day, it's very hard for me to stand. I vividly remember the tears flowing down my cheeks when I had to remain seated. I pray that the Lord can use me to encourage other women who are struggling with singleness, miscarriages, or infertility through providing a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, praying with them, or a hug. If you have any say into how mothers are honored at your church on Mother's Day, maybe you could suggest ways to try to make it less painful for those women who aren't mothers yet or who have recently lost a child.