Mother’s Day and the Grief No One Talks About
The brunch photos. The flower deliveries. The handmade cards posted proudly on social media. Mother’s Day sweeps in with confetti and fanfare — but for many, it lands like a stone on the chest.
If you’re grieving this year — grieving your mother, your child, a pregnancy that didn’t last, or the dream of a child you still long for — this day can feel impossibly heavy. It can feel like everyone else is celebrating while you sit quietly with your heart cracked open.
You’re not broken. You’re carrying a love that the world sometimes forgets to make room for.
Grieving a Mother’s Absence
Whether your mother was your safe place or your greatest challenge, losing her reshapes you.
Mother’s Day brings the memories into sharp focus — the birthday calls, the recipes scrawled on old index cards, the scent of her lotion you swear you just caught in the air.
Some years, the grief stings less. Some years, it bowls you over. There’s no timeline for missing someone who shaped your world.
You don’t have to smile through it. You don’t have to make yourself smaller. Missing her is a love story that doesn’t end.
Grieving as a Mother
For mothers who have lost a child, Mother’s Day can feel like an entire world moving on without noticing the one you carry in your heart.
The world often celebrates visible motherhood — the stroller walks, the art projects, the messy hugs. But the invisible work of loving a child who isn’t here deserves just as much recognition.
You are a mother. Whether you held them for a lifetime or only a few brief moments, your love is real. Your motherhood is real. You deserve to be seen.
Pregnancy Loss, Infertility, and the Grief No One Sees
There’s a quieter kind of grief too — the loss of what could have been.
Miscarriages that happened behind closed doors. Negative tests that felt like silent heartbreaks. Endless hopes tied to dates and months and maybes.
Mother’s Day can cut deeply when you're holding space for lives that almost were, or dreams that haven’t come true. You might feel invisible, but your loss is valid, and your grief is heavy and real.
When Social Media Hurts
Sometimes you think you’re ready. You open your phone for a quick scroll, and within seconds — snapshots of families beaming in parks, toddlers offering up clumsy bouquets, perfect posts wrapped in hashtags — it hurts.
You can love others’ joy and still feel gutted by it. You can step away for a day, a week, or as long as you need. Protecting your heart is strength, not weakness.
How to Move Through the Day
Feel everything. Tears, numbness, anger, gratitude — whatever shows up, let it be there.
Honor your connections. Light a candle. Whisper their name. Yell their name if you need to. Look at old photos. Tell a story.
Protect your space. It’s okay to say no. It’s okay to change plans. You don't owe anyone an explanation.
Reach for support. Message someone you trust. Sit with someone who doesn’t need you to “move on.”
Be wildly gentle with yourself. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. Grieving doesn’t mean you're stuck.
Taking Care of Yourself
Self-care matters even more on heavy days. You might want to:
Wrap yourself in a cozy blanket and watch a comforting show.
Take a walk in nature and breathe deeply.
Write a letter to your loved one — or to yourself.
Unplug from social media for the day.
Allow yourself small joys without guilt.
Small acts of tenderness toward yourself can help carry you through.
You Are Not Forgotten
You don't have to make the best of this day. You don't have to perform strength for anyone.
If Mother’s Day brings tears instead of celebration, know this: you are not broken. You are not alone.
Grief, after all, is just love enduring — stubborn, wild, and utterly sacred.
Just because society often avoids talking about grief doesn’t mean it isn’t real, powerful, and deeply human. Grief touches every one of us eventually — it is not a flaw in life, but a part of it.
If you would like extra support this Mother’s Day or any day, our therapists at Rise Healing Center are here to hold space for your grief, your love, and your healing. Reach out to us — you don’t have to walk through it alone.