I was going to talk about how awesome my day was and the fabulous things my husband and kids did for me, but I just couldn’t because something else was weighing on my heart. While I was being treated like a princess by my family today, I kept 3 women I know in the back of my mind. They are suffering miscarriages this weekend, of all weekends. It seems fundamentally unfair somehow. And then there are the women I know who are suffering through infertility. Whether they have a child already and long for just one more, or are still waiting for their “turn.” It’s not an easy day, especially when the perpetually clueless have a habit of wishing a Happy Mother’s Day to anyone with a uterus, never mind whether that uterus has ever carried a child or ever will carry a child.
I also remembered several women I know who lost their mothers recently. They are having a rough day, too.
Just a few years ago, Mother’s Day was particularly difficult for me. Even though I had a little boy who was the light of my life, my body wasn’t cooperating when it came to having another. One of the lovely things about PCOS…I’ve mentioned that it steals your femininity, and the most significant way is that it becomes difficult or even impossible to get pregnant. And if you can get pregnant, your risk of miscarriage is greatly increased. It’s a horrible, horrible illness and it doesn’t get a lot of press or attention because it doesn’t kill in any sort of direct way.
So today, light a candle and/or say a prayer for the women who long to be mothers and the women (and men) grieving the loss of their mothers. If you know one of these people, be sensitive. If you want, offer them a hug and let them know you’ve been thinking about them. I promise you it will be appreciated, probably more than you will ever know.
