𝑀𝒶𝓎𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒿𝓊𝓈𝓉 𝒶𝓃𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊. Maybe it was spent trying to catch up on that never-ending pile of laundry. Maybe today was just another day of wiping noses and tushies. Maybe today was just another day of cutting the crust off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and hiding in the pantry, just so you can shove a piece of your kid’s Easter candy in your mouth without them seeing you. Maybe today was just another day of feeling unappreciated, going about the day without a solitary “thank you” or even an acknowledgment that today was Mother’s Day.

𝑀𝒶𝓎𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝑔𝓇𝒾𝑒𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑔, 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓉 𝒷𝑒 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝒶 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓁𝑜𝓈𝓉 𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓂𝑜𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓃𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇 𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝓉𝑜 𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓉𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎. Maybe today was another day of “what ifs” and thinking of what could have been. Maybe today was filled with tears, lots and lots of tears. Maybe today was filled with overwhelming sadness and empty arms. Maybe today was an extremely difficult day for you, with a heaving weight on your chest, and you were barely able to get out of bed this morning.

𝑀𝒶𝓎𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝒷𝑒𝒽𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒶 𝒸𝓁𝑜𝓈𝑒𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓁𝑜𝒸𝓀𝑒𝒹 𝒹𝑜𝑜𝓇, 𝓌𝒽𝒾𝓁𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒸𝒽𝒾𝓁𝒹𝓇𝑒𝓃 𝓌𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓈𝓅𝑜𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒𝒾𝓇 𝑔𝓇𝒶𝓃𝒹𝓅𝒶𝓇𝑒𝓃𝓉𝓈. Maybe today was filled with watching Leonardo DiCaprio movies on repeat (can I get an AMEN for some Romeo and Juliet!?). Maybe today was filled with uncounted calories and your favorite pair of comfy sweatpants. Maybe today was a day of relinquished parental duties, where you got an entire day of peace, quiet, and rest. Maybe today was filled with much-needed naps. Maybe today was spent entirely alone, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

𝑀𝒶𝓎𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝒻𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝓎, 𝒻𝓇𝑜𝓂 𝓈𝓊𝓃-𝓊𝓅 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝓊𝓃-𝒹𝑜𝓌𝓃. Maybe today was filled with breakfast in bed, handmade cards, fresh-cut flowers, and a feeling of being appreciated. Maybe today was filled with a feeling of being pampered. Maybe it was filled with picnic lunches down at the beach, walks in the sun, and a home-cooked dinner that you didn’t have to make. Maybe it was filled with the dishes being done by someone that wasn’t you, a chilled glass of Pinot Grigio, and a Real Housewives of Beverly Hills marathon on Bravo.

𝑀𝒶𝓎𝒷𝑒 𝓉𝑜𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝓃𝓉 𝓌𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔. Maybe it was spent hoping for a positive pregnancy test. Maybe it was spent with an overwhelming sense of anger and frustration at your body, feeling like a failure that you haven’t gotten pregnant yet. Maybe it was spent with the curtains drawn, washing yourself in darkness, hoping that the day will just fly by. Maybe today was spent asking when your time will come. Maybe today was filled with jealousy at a friend’s pregnancy announcement on Facebook.

Today might be an extremely difficult day for some or it may be the most pleasant day of the year.

You may have cried.

Laughed.

Screamed.

Sobbed.

Hugged.

Kissed.

Smiled.

So, to the biological mothers, the adoptive and foster mothers. To the single mothers and married mothers. To the grandmothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, and mother figures. To the should-be mothers and grieving mothers. To the step-mothers and mothers-in law. To those without their mothers and to the fathers that play both extremely important roles.

Whatever you did today, and however you chose to spend it, remember how ＬＯＶＥＤ you are.

Always.

Photo by Amanda Oleander Art