Happy Sunday to you, beautiful human!
How do I know you are beautiful? Because you are here, wanting to focus on love, appreciation, everyday joy, and gratitude.
You are here, wanting to make magical moments for yourself and for people you love.
I see you.
I see your generous, open heart.
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Today, my LoveGram is about Mother’s Day — all of the joys and grief and everything in between.
I think it is important on these Hallmark holidays for us to remember the range of emotions people might be experiencing.
Listen to today’s Audio LoveGram by clicking through to this page now! (Just scroll down on that page until you see the audio player. Press play. That’s it!)
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I am just back from three weeks of exquisite travel, meeting the most amazing people and seeing such great beauty. I also got to connect with two very dear friends — one who lives in France and the other in Portugal.
Time like that with people we love is priceless.
I want to tell you more, but here in the United States it is Mother’s Day and it feels important to focus on that today.
I’ll tell you why.
These Hallmark holidays can be really rough for people who feel excluded in some way.
Mother’s Day can be such a joyful time for those of us who have mothers we love dearly or children we are deeply connected to. It can be a wonderful day to celebrate with our families.
However, it can be a heartbreaking day for someone whose mother or child has died. It can be emotional for someone whose mom is ill or dealing with dementia.
It can bring up deep sadness for people who desperately wanted to have children, but couldn’t. Or for people who are estranged from their children or mothers.
Years ago, my friend Roberta shared with me how hard Mother’s Day was for her as a single mom with a very young child. There was no one to celebrate her. There was no one to take her little boy to the store to pick out a box of chocolates or a flower for his mom.
I say these things because if you are someone who might be having a hard time today, please know I am here with you.
Know that you can respond to this email and have someone on the other end who is giving you a big ole virtual hug.
Please also consider reaching out to someone you are close with and letting them know you could use some extra love. It can be hard to do that, but it can also be such great self-care. And, we all appreciate being asked to help. Sometimes we just don’t think about it. And it feels good to be asked.
And — if you are someone who is not having a hard time today, would you consider reaching out to one person in your life who might be having a difficult day?
Maybe a friend of yours is grieving the loss of a parent or child? Or, maybe you know a single mom who could use some celebration?
Maybe you know someone who has a difficult relationship with her mom or child? Or one of your friends is someone who never had the mother or child she longed for?
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This is also a great day to express appreciation to a woman who nurtured you like a mom. Think about baking some muffins for your sweet auntie who was always there for you. Or, for the woman who took you under her wing and offered love and support.
Let’s make this a day of love with many facets.
Let’s open our hearts and send out love to those who are celebrating and those who are sad.
Let’s be together in all of it, okay?
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I love you. I’m here with you.
Whatever this day is or isn’t for you, we’re together. Hand in hand.
Thank you for being on this journey of love, celebration, grief, confusion, messiness, and appreciation with me.
It’s okay (and natural) that it is all here on our journey.
Seek celebration — even in dark corners,
xo Sherry