Top Ways to Cope with Grief on Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day, for many, is a time of celebration with one of your biggest supporters, Mom. For the rest of us, this holiday can leave us feeling the blues; especially when Mom (or our maternal support) is no longer with us. Your lack of Mother’s Day enthusiasm is not abnormal. In fact, some people choose to pretend it is just another day. However, there are constructive ways to deal with the day that will make you feel  closer to her memory and to the people in your life. No matter how you decide to spend the day, we support you!

Is Your Grief Fresh?

Is your grief Fresh? This holiday can seem like an insult. Mother’s day can underscore how you really feel-alone. Although grief is universal-everyone experiences it from animals to humans-the way in which one experiences it can be vastly different from person to person. Grief can sometimes resemble Major Depression from crying spells, loss of appetite, sleep disturbance, depressed mood.

Grief is not tidy; it’s not evenly spaced or timely stages or passages we walk through; it is messy. It is taking one step forward and falling three steps backward. It is determining to live one moment at a time. The good news is, you will get through it!

Here are some strategies that may help you or someone you know cope with grief on Mother’s Day:

1) Start a new tradition-during dinner say a few kind words of remembrance or leave a chair empty at the dinner table.

2) Change the routine-go out to brunch with your friends or schedule a day trip with your friends/family. Festivals are plenty this time of year.

3) Celebrate her life-symbolic gestures can be very powerful. Write down all the things you loved about Mom. Then, place notes in a balloon and send it sky high. Or, write Mom a letter and place it in a bottle to be carried out to sea.

Conclusion

Grief does not conclude at the six-month or one-year anniversary. Mother’s day can be an agitating reminder of your loss. Look for the symbols, the reminders of things you are grateful for; take a photo of it as you search for the strength and hope that you need. Take the time to be kind to yourself and try a few of the strategies above. Share your gratitude photos with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and tag them with #mygratitude19