As we look forward to tomorrow celebrating Mother’s Day, I acknowledge and understand that it can be a difficult time for those of us who come from broken families or who don’t have a strong connection with their mothers. As someone who has struggled with this myself, I understand the mix of emotions that arise when the holiday rolls around every year. For many, including me for the longest time, it is a reminder of the strained and complicated relationship with your mother. We’ve gone through periods of estrangement and awkward attempts at reconciliation, but the underlying issues were never discussed- and each time, when the whole world and the advertisements are crazily cashing the day, the emotional turmoil between us only increases. Despite this, we still feel a sense of obligation to acknowledge her on Mother’s Day. I feel like I’m expected to send a card or a gift, to post a message on social media- to somehow demonstrate that I’m honoring her in the way that society expects. But the truth is, we all struggle with this obligation. We struggle to find the words to express our feelings, to find a gift that feels meaningful and authentic, to navigate the complex emotions that arise when we think about our mother and our relationship.
And yet, I also know that I’m not alone in these struggles. So many of us come from broken families or have complicated relationships with our mothers, and we feel the weight of those experiences on holidays like Mother’s Day. So, how can we honour the holiday without feeling like we’re betraying ourselves or our own emotional experiences? Can we, on this Mother’s Day, make peace with our strained relationship?
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