“I’m not sure I enjoy Mother’s Day—but it’s almost over.”
She whispered it with a weary half-smile, as if waiting for a painful wave to pass.
I held her gaze, knowing she wasn’t alone.
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Because truthfully?
Mother’s Day stirs up a lot!
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Not just for the ones celebrated with flowers and brunch, but for those who feel forgotten, unrecognized, or wounded by the complexities of motherhood—or the absence of it.
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💔 Why Women Avoid Mother’s Day? The Silent Grief Behind the Smiles...
These are real stories I've heard, real women I've met over the years.
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Mothers who lost a child—through miscarriage, illness, accident, or estrangement. The day feels like salt on an open wound.
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Women struggling with infertility—who quietly sit out Mother’s Day services because they can’t bear another year of being asked to stand.
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Those who had abortions and now carry secret sorrow and shame—unable to voice their grief on this “joyful” day.
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Mothers who feel like failures—whose children have walked away from faith, family, or life itself.
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Single women longing to be mothers but unsure if it will ever happen.
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Mothers who never wanted to be mothers—but became one due to pressure or unplanned circumstances, and now feel conflicted.
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Daughters with abusive, neglectful, or absent mothers—who feel deep dissonance in honoring someone who never showed love.
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Women whose mothers have passed away—walking through the ache of absence year after year.
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Women who mother in unseen ways—as grandmothers, aunts, caregivers, or spiritual mentors—often unacknowledged.
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Mothers of children on the spectrum or with disabilities—carrying emotional and physical exhaustion few can understand.
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Church staff or pastors’ wives—who plan services, honor others, yet carry unspoken private pain.
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And some?
They just don’t go to church on Mother’s Day.
Because it’s easier to avoid the spotlight than to explain their story.
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The Bible is filled with women whose motherhood stories were messy, delayed, unexpected, or marked by loss:
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- Hannah, who wept bitterly for a child (1 Samuel 1)
​- Sarah, who laughed at the thought of becoming a mother at 90 (Genesis 18)
​- Tamar, Ruth, Bathsheba—whose motherhood came through trauma or tragedy
​- Mary, the mother of Jesus, who watched her son be crucified
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God didn’t erase their pain.
He entered it.
He brought redemption, restoration, and purpose through the most unlikely, broken, grieving vessels.
Jesus Himself, hanging on the cross, looked at His mother and made sure she was cared for (John 19:26–27).
Even in suffering, He honored a woman’s heart.
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Mother’s Day can be a trigger—and that’s okay to admit.
You don’t have to fake joy.
You can feel your feelings fully and still be held by God’s love.

Dear friend, wherever you find yourself on the motherhood spectrum, this is your invitation:

Step into wholeness. Not perfection. Not performance. Wholeness says:

“I honor my story—even the hidden chapters.”

“I don’t need to compare my motherhood or womanhood to anyone else’s.”

“My worth is not in what I produce, but in who I am in Christ.”

“I can grieve and hope at the same time.”

“I am seen, known, and deeply loved by my Creator.”
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🙏 A Prayer for the Woman Who Struggled on Mother’s Day
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Lord Jesus, You are the Comforter of every aching heart. You see the tears no one else sees, the longings no one else understands. Thank You that You don’t dismiss our grief but hold space for it. Today, I give You my pain, my story, my unmet dreams, and my hidden wounds. Help me walk the road of healing—not by erasing my past, but by redeeming it. In You, all things are being made new. Amen.
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💡 Encouragement for the Journey Ahead
- You are not forgotten.
- You are more than your relationship status or family tree.
- You carry the image of God, and your story still matters.
- You can be made whole. 
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​🔖 Share this with a woman who needs it. You are not alone.