10 Things to do for Mother’s Day if Your Mom is Gone.

Every single Mother’s Day for the last 35 years have all had 1 thing in common for me; I was able to talk to my mom and wish her a happy Mother’s Day. This year will be different, my first without her. I have been in a really optimistic mood lately but everyone tells me that Sunday will be hard and I am sure there is some truth to that. I will most likely avoid restaurants because that might be a bit difficult for me for some reason. What I don’t want to avoid is honoring my mom on Mother’s Day. I want to make it a special day for myself, and I want to be able to reflect on what a truly amazing woman she was.

I reached out to some of the people I follow on Instagram.com and Anchor.fm to see what suggestions and/or traditions people had and here is a list of 10 things to do on Mother’s Day if your mom is gone.

1. 1. Visit her resting place. Michelle from @LittleBlueBirdSigns on Instagram said that her family is starting a tradition this year to visit her mom’s grave and then explore where her mom grew up and went to school. If your mom doesn’t have a final resting spot you can visit a place that was special to her. When my mom visited me she always wanted to go to the Ottawa Lochs, it would be a nice activity to take a picnic there and just enjoy the space.
   2. Donate to a favorite charity. Is there a cause that your mom felt strongly about? If there was a place your mom donated to in the past she would love the fact that you are carrying on her legacy by sharing your treasure as well.
   3. Bring out photos and reminisce. Julene from @ArtByJulene on Etsy suggested busting out the photo albums and talking about all of the fun memories you made together. I know everyone deals with grief differently but I have found it very therapeutic to talk about her and look at pictures of her smiling face. You are always invited to share on PearlsFromMyMom.com 🙂
   4. Do something she always wanted to do. Did your mom dream of skydiving or bungee jumping? Had she ever mentioned to you that she wanted to try something but never got the chance? Do it in her honor. There is something really satisfying about fulfilling a wish for someone so close to your heart.
   5.  Write about it/write a letter to her. Meghan on Anchor.fm suggested that writing can be a great way to deal with milestones and trauma, and I couldn’t agree more. If you don’t already have a journal, go find one that inspires you to write in it. Journaling can help you say things you might not want to say to anyone else and gives you a safe place to really let out all of your feelings. Writing a letter to her can also be an excellent way to say things you wish you could say to her.
   6. Get crafty. Nothing makes you feel better than creating something with your own two hands (even if it isn’t exactly perfect). Get inspired, check out your Pinterest boards for that one thing you have wanted to make but never had the nerve. Take a trip to the craft store or find yourself a free pallet and get going! You could even post a DIY tutorial on here when you’re done.
   7. Get the kids involved. Britnee from @adventureswithavenlie on Instagram said her day will be spent playing games with her family. If you have your own kids, remember it is a day to honor you as well. Your kids will want to make the day special for you so let them spoil you and surround yourself with laughter and love.
   8. Volunteer at a nursing home or women’s shelter. If you feel up to it, you could call a local nursing home or women’s shelter and find out if they are looking for people to bring cards and flowers to the mothers who might not get visitors. Imagine the joy you could bring to someone who might not be getting any visits on Mother’s Day.
   9. Release something in her honor. Mo from Anchor.fm said they did a lantern release for her father. I have heard of people releasing butterflies, balloons, and birds. Releasing something beautiful into the air is symbolic and would be a poetic way of honoring your mom. ***Edited to add: Since posting this article, I have done more research about the environmental impact of releasing things like lanterns and balloons and I wouldn’t recommend either of these.***
   10. Care for yourself and be gentle with yourself. It is important to follow your heart and only do what makes you feel comfortable. Maybe none of these ideas speak to you and you just want to relax. Cry if you need to, take a nap if you so desire and please don’t put unnecessary expectations on yourself. Treat yourself to something that will make you feel good and don’t worry about what other people want you to do.

Do you have any other ideas of what you want to do? Comment below and share the love…

You are always welcome to share on here but I have also created an ongoing facebook event for you to share and support others.

Also, do yourself a favor and check out the work of the fabulous artists featured in this article:

Art By Julene

A photo posted by ArtByJulene (@artbyjulene) on Aug 12, 2015 at 5:35am PDT

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