Sunday Thought May 10, 2015 – Mother’s Day (internationally)

Today is Mother’s Day in the rest of the world (I got it wrong last week, sorry folks).

Today’s Sunday Thought is a tribute to all the mothers with a part of their heart missing. It is for all the mothers who are spending the day missing a part of their lives, their heart.

For all the mothers who had to give a child back.

If, like me, you had a baby but your arms are now empty you are a mother too.

Today’s thought is for all you mamas who are hurting today. I understand how today is in many ways just another day on the calendar, yet it rubs salt in to those open wounds.

In the UK, Mother’s Day is in March. My first Mother’s Day was just two days after Hugo died. The previous week, Hugo’s condition had improved and I had been so full of hope that I would spend that day giving my baby a cuddle. Instead, I spent it in bed, sobbing, and not wanting to see a soul.

This year’s Mother’s Day was difficult too.

My Mother’s Day was eased by the balm of kindness. Kind family members, friends (both real life and those who I have come to know on social media) sent me messages to say they were thinking of me, thinking of Hugo, and that I would always be a special Mama.

I had to give Hugo back. There will always be a Hugo-shaped hole in my life. Such small kindnesses make the pain a tiny bit easier to bear.

So if you know a mother missing a part of her heart today, send her a message. Let her know you are thinking of them. Mention the child’s name. Hearing her child’s name won’t upset her any more than she is already – I know that can be a common fear. Believe me, it will mean the absolute world to her.

It doesn’t matter what part of the world you are in – whether Mother’s Day is today where you live, or whether the day has been and gone. While knowing you are being thought of on symbolic days is comforting, mothers whose children live on in their hearts rather than in their arms endure the pain every single day.