Mother's Day.
For some, a day filled with love.
For others… perhaps a bit complicated, too.
For me, it’s different this year.
I no longer have a mother.
And to be honest…
I’m not going to sugarcoat it.
I didn’t have the bond with my mother
that you sometimes see or hear about with others.
It wasn’t always easy.
I struggled with that relationship.
And yet…
now that she’s no longer here,
I notice that something is changing.
That I’m starting to appreciate things
I might not have seen before.
Her sense of humor.
Small moments.
Things that were ordinary back then…
but now suddenly carry weight.
My mother had been suffering from dementia for a long time.
So, in a way, you say goodbye much earlier.
You haven’t really been a child for a long time.
And that makes it complicated, too.
Because how do you look back then?
With mixed feelings?
With love?
With a sense of loss?
Perhaps everything all at once.
And maybe that’s okay.
Because no matter what a bond was like…
she is still your mother.
And I truly believe that every mother,
in her own way,
has the intention of being good for her child.
Even if it doesn't always come across that way.
Even if it sometimes feels different.
Maybe you’re reading this
and thinking: yes… I recognize this.
Or maybe not at all.
Maybe you have a very warm bond with your mother.
Or perhaps it’s actually complicated.
But whatever the case…
Mother’s Day might be a moment
to pause for a while.
To reflect on what is there.
Or what was there.
On the little things.
The moments that you might see differently later on.
I know one thing for sure, in any case…
That you only truly realize what something means,
once it’s no longer there.
And that’s not a pleasant thought.
But it is an honest one.
So perhaps this isn't a perfect Mother's Day message.
But it is a real one.
Don't forget your mother.
Not because you have to.
But because it might mean more
than you think right now.
Looking for a meaningful gift for Mother’s Day?
Discover our collection of little reminders that last.
Love, Vanessa
