In the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day a lot of emotions are stirred. Many moms deal with prodigal children, strained relationships, infertility, illness, or loss and grief. You may awaken each day with the belief that nothing will ever improve. When Mother’s Day hurts, you may feel as if pulling the covers over your head and hiding in the comfort of your bed seems like the best solution.
Fresh Perspective When Mother’s Day Hurts
Tracey from Missouri once cried, “It’s been long enough already! I want all of this to be history!” As she dealt with her son’s drug abuse she said, “It feels like things will never get better.”
Ida Rose had been told she would never have children and struggled daily for more than seven years.
Like Tracey and Ida Rose, it may be hard to imagine how things can ever change.
I understand. Long ago, I realized that I would stay stuck in the muck of despair if I didn’t adopt a more positive approach. Because I could only handle emotional pain in small doses, I learned to alternate activities. I found those that provided some sense of relief or enjoyment and allowed myself time to confront my heart-wrenching ache within.
Dealing with pain a little bit at a time is often the most helpful approach.
For me, gardening, walking, writing in my journal, visiting with a friend, or watching a movie were a few of the activities that kept me from going over the edge. For other women, it’s other activities that bring healthy restoration, like . . .
- arranging photos in a scrapbook,
- prayer,
- art,
- listening to audio messages,
- or even sleep
An Active Approach
When Mother’s Day hurts repeatedly, it is easy to slip into the mindset that the sun will never shine again when one dreary day seems to follow another. Instead of wallowing in our hurts, we must take an active approach and plan activities that will help us focus on God’s miracles and give reminders of hope.
Warmly,
Georgia Shaffer
P.S. Today’s content was adapted from A Gift of Mourning Glories: Restoring Your Life After Loss. If you’d like to read more, you can purchase your copy of the book here.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (NIV).
