The side of Mother's day we don't talk about... but should

Mother’s Day has two sides.

The one we see everywhere.
Soft pastel ads. Flowers. Brunch.
“Happy Mother’s Day.”

This is the side I used to see.
But I've learned in recent years, it's not the whole picture.

There’s another side to Mother’s Day.
A heavier one. A quieter one.
The side we don’t see or talk about... but should.

The mother with empty arms.
The mother who carried a baby she never got to bring home.
The mother who has lost a child and feels it louder on this day than most.

The daughter without her mother.
The father without the mother of his children,
holding it together while missing her.

The families who feel incomplete at the table.
The empty chair no one mentions… but everyone feels.

The women who long to be mothers,
who thought this year would look different...
Who carry both hope and heartbreak.

This is the side of Mother’s Day I now see.
It’s just as real and valid as the other side.
Just quieter. Heavier. Rarely talked about.

But it matters just as much.
Because motherhood doesn’t end when a life does.
Love doesn’t disappear with loss.

This time of year has always been difficult for me since losing my first baby.
I felt Mother's day will never be the same, and it isn't.
But now, as some time has passed, I'm trying to hold space for both sides. 

And here's my hope for this day.
That more of us begin to see both sides of Mother's day.
We learn to honor them both. 

Mother's deserved to be celebrated.
The ones we've lost, remembered.
And those who are grieving, supported.

For those carrying love that can't always be seen... I see you. 

From one grieving heart to another,
Grayson’s Mom,
Laura