While many women celebrate Mother’s Day, for other women it is a reminder of the fact that they are not a mother. For some reason, they have been plagued with infertility. I wanted to repost this article from our sister site – Interrupted Expectations. It is written by a woman who is reminded every year in May that she is not a Mommy yet.
On May 9th, we celebrate Mother’s Day once again. For many, it’s a time of appreciation and joy. For others, it can be one of the most difficult days of the year. This is often true for women facing infertility, families who have recently experienced the loss of a mother, and many other painful situations.
I’ve learned what it’s like for Mother’s Day to be difficult through my work at Dayspring as a card writer. Each year we receive letters about our “Difficult Mother’s Day” cards. One woman expressed her appreciation and then said, “I spent seven very painful Mother’s Days longing for motherhood while dealing with infertility and the losses of eight children through miscarriage and failed adoptions. I’ve also seen my own mother’s grief and struggle through Mother’s Day after the death of her mother. And I have many friends in less-than-ideal situations with their children.” Read more…
Thank you to Holley for allowing me to share part of her journey.
As a woman that suffered with fertility struggles and also the loss of a baby when it was far too young to survive without me, I know this feeling. I remember sitting in church on Mother's Day, crying. I sat in the back so no one would see. It was hard when God gave us such a longing but the fulfillment of that wasn't there yet.
I had a pastor, over all those years, that had the BEST Mother's Day sermons ever. He acknowledged those of us who were childless due to this struggle. He really brought us into the fold, acknowledging and addressing our feelings on that day. Those were the only Mother's Days I didn't cry in church before we were blessed with children.