Mother’s Day Without A Mom
It’s official - we are less than a month away from Mother’s Day which is on Sunday, May 14th this year.
As a florist, I personally love the idea of taking the day to celebrate moms. Moms are some of the most amazing people I know. They are not only resilient, but they also have the ability to be soft and vulnerable in a way that only true unconditional love can show.
But as a daughter who lost her mother, it can be quite emotional and gut-wrenching to see everyone else celebrating their own moms only to be reminded that my mom is no longer here to celebrate.
She may not be on this physical plane, but I still consider myself lucky. I am lucky because my mom was a wonderful, intelligent woman who spent her life caring for her children and family. Unfortunately, not everyone has a mom like I did.
News Flash: Not Everyone Has A Mom
I know this statement is controversial, and I intend for it to be that way. While we all have a mother who physically gave birth to us, not everyone can call that woman Mom. There are Moms who don’t make it through childbirth, children with two Dads and no Moms, kids that are sent into foster care, people who have lost their moms to addiction - and many more.
For those who don’t have anyone to call Mom in their life, I encourage you to take Mother’s Day as a day of self care and reflection. Many of us had to be our own parents at times and have also been parents to other siblings or relatives.
News Flash: Not All Moms are Female
I know what you’re thinking - “how can a mom be anything but female?” Well I’m here to enlighten you on the other forms of motherhood that are not dependent on gender.
The idea that motherhood and gender are unequivocally linked is outdated and cis-normative. Moms come in all shapes, sizes, races, genders, sexualities and anatomies.
At Flowers + Herb Florals, we embrace all of the mother figures in people’s lives, whether they still call themselves a “mom” or not. The act of motherhood is built through years of empathy, care taking and soul searching. People become mothers not just from childbirth, but from helping to better the people, communities, and families in their lives.
How To Celebrate Mother’s Day
We are bound be flooded with images of people celebrating their moms on social media and out in public. Whether that’s taking Mom out to a fancy brunch or sending her to a spa - every Mother’s Day is full of people sharing special moments with their Moms.
If you are Mom-less like me, a great way to honor your Mom can be to simply spend time doing something she enjoyed doing. For example, my mom was an avid reader with a love of puzzle books and crosswords. Even if I can’t dedicate the entire day to honoring her memory, the simple act of doing a crossword puzzle instantly reminds me how I am her daughter, and that she is a part of me.