Mother’s Day When Love and Loss Collide

Mother’s Day is complicated for me. It’s a day that brings so many emotions rushing in at once: love, gratitude, loss, and a deep ache that never really fades. It’s a day when I feel both full and empty, grateful and grieving, all at once.

I think of my mom every single day. Sometimes it’s a fleeting thought, a memory that brings a smile or a wave of sadness. Other times it’s a deep longing, a desperate wish to just hear her voice, to call her and tell her about my day or ask for advice the way I used to. She was my person, the one I could always count on no matter what. Losing her felt like losing a part of myself, and I still carry that loss with me.

Today, I honor her. I honor the strength and love she poured into me, the countless lessons she taught me without even trying. I carry her spirit with me in how I mother my own children. I hear her wisdom when I’m faced with a challenge, and I feel her love wrapped around me on days when I feel like I’m falling apart. I miss her presence more than words can capture, but I know she’s still with me: in my heart, in my dreams, in every act of kindness I pass on to my kids.

Mother’s Day isn’t just about celebrating; it’s about navigating the reality that I am a mom now too. Some days it feels like a gift. Other days it feels daunting, especially when I wish I could lean on her guidance. Being a mom without my mom has been one of the hardest things to navigate. There are so many moments I want to share with her: little victories, quiet moments, and the days when it all feels like too much. I just want to know that I’m doing okay, that she’d be proud of me.

This day is about celebrating love, but it’s also about holding space for those of us who feel the void. It’s about acknowledging that grief and joy can coexist, and that it’s okay to feel both at once. It’s okay to be grateful for the love we had and heartbroken over the love we lost. It’s okay to honor our moms while also admitting that it hurts not having them here.

To every mother who’s still here, I hope you know how cherished you are. And to those like me, who are navigating this day without the woman who shaped them, I see you. Your grief is valid. Your love is real. You’re allowed to feel it all: the sadness, the pride, the gratitude, and the longing.

Today, I honor my mom’s legacy, the way she made me feel loved and safe. I honor the lessons she taught me, and I carry them forward as I raise my own kids. I know she’s watching over me, and I hope she knows how much she is missed, how much I still need her, how much I wish I could tell her that I finally understand why she always put me first.

Happy Mother’s Day to the moms who give endlessly, love fiercely, and hold their families together. And to my mom: thank you. Thank you for teaching me how to love without limits, how to keep going when life gets hard, and how to find strength in the midst of loss. I love you, always.

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Today I’m honoring my mom, the love we shared, and the ache that lingers. I’m learning to live in the space where love and loss collide.

With raw truth, resilience, and the strength to sit with the silence,

Lindsay-Michele

Living, healing, and navigating both the stillness and the chaos.

🖤 www.lindsay-michele.com | @downtherabbithole.lm