April showers bring May Flowers! Happy May to you. The month of May brings about the “unofficial” start of Summer, many graduations, and of course, Mother’s Day. This month the workshop is focused on “Honoring Impactful Women,” as we recognize the many women who have importance in our lives, and how they have led us to the individuals we are today.
For many bereaved, Mother’s Day is a solemn day of remembrance and longing. These feelings could be for their biological mothers, adopted mother’s, or women who are pursuing motherhood but have not yet had the baby they have been dreaming about. For others, Mother’s Day is honoring the women in our life that have been motherly to us or helped to raise us, but were not our mothers. These women may be a sister, aunt, cousin, grandmother, friend, friend of the family, or even a teacher or coworker.
When I was completing my Masters in Social Work, I interned at a local high school and led a grief group there. One of the students had lost her mother, and another had a difficult and contentious relationship with her mother. The student who had lost her mother told her something along the lines of “be grateful your mother is still alive.” While the student meant well, I feel there is some wisdom in understanding that not all of our relationships with our mothers, or parents are great, and sometimes finding the perfect Mother’s Day card is impossible. Not because you can’t find something nice and meaningful, but because those words do not apply to your relationship with your mother. These types of relationships can complicate grief, when we grieve the relationships we had hoped for and wanted, but were never able to attain.
This is why we choose to honor impactful women. The grandmas, the aunts, the friends, the wives who made us who we are today. Mother’s Day to many may be about their mother, but to other’s it is about the women who showed up and supported them when they needed it most.
I invite you to join us for our “Honoring Impactful Women” workshop. Come and share memories of the impactful women in your life. Share the joy of their presence and connect with other people grieving the women in their lives.
“The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others, who will love and be loved, women who live bravely, both tender and fierce, women of indomitable will.” – Amy Tenney
