You know, like for all the mamas who were up all night with a fussy babe and then up at the crack of dawn with the toddler. And for those mamas whose partners totally dropped the ball on a gift and flowers and breakfast in bed or any sort of acknowledgment at all of the incredible weight you carry every day. For the mamas who spent the day longing for rest or solitude, but got neither, and then felt guilty because the family day was so sweet (but a nap would have hit sweeter.)
For those who miss their own mama or who miss the mama they never had, or wish they’d had. For the mamas working long shifts at hard jobs, and those spending the day away from their kids. For those who long to be mamas and those who should be celebrating their first Mother’s Day with a baby, but instead have broken hearts and empty arms. For the single mamas with no one around to celebrate them and no chance to take a break, and the birth mamas and foster moms and step moms and grandmamas filling the role of mom, and all the others who seem to be skipped over in the Hallmark cards.
And while we’re at it, let’s normalize messy feelings Mother’s Day for all those wading through grief and gratitude and navigating the huge feels that come with this role. And for the simple fact that this day is weird and low key toxic because we live in a society that wears us down, burns us out, gives us almost no support and then us throws some flowers at us and calls it even.
For every mama who spent the day brunching in bed there are many more who were sobbing behind the bathroom door or scrubbing yogurt out of the carpet or waiting tables for lousy tips. Motherhood is messy. We are wild, holy, complex, radiant, broken, beautiful beings and the expansiveness of our experience deserves so much more than just a day. So, here’s to our magic, messy feelings, and mediocre Mother’s Day. I hope you got a nap, or at least a cup of hot coffee sipped in silence. 💜
Original post: @spiritysol
