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For the Mothers Who Can’t Be With Their Children on Mother's Day
Mother’s Day Isn’t a Hallmark Moment for Everyone
For all the times you hear, “Happy Mother’s Day.” There are many for whom sadness will rule the day. Many like me have already lost their mothers and grandmothers. My maternal grandmother passed away on Mother’s Day, which was only fitting if you knew her. She poured into two sets of grandchildren, each unaware of what she did for the other.
For various reasons, some mothers can’t be with their children on this holiday. Children aren’t supposed to die before their parents, but sometimes they do. Some children are lost to the streets, whether it be drugs or prostitution. Others are imprisoned, and choices might be made not to visit on Mother’s Day, spending that time with others. Some mothers might physically be with their children, yet dementia has robbed them of the knowledge of their presence.
Many other scenarios flooded my mind as I thought of these mothers. I thought of those undergoing involuntary family separations at the border or those who sent their children alone because of fearful conditions at home. Some mothers may have been a danger to their children and had them removed. Some children were kidnapped, possibly sexually trafficked. Other children ran away.