When These Days Aren’t Joyful for Everyone
Every May and June, social media fills with photos of smiling families, breakfast-in-bed moments, and heartfelt tributes. But for those of us who have lost a parent or grew up with an absent one, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day can bring a flood of complicated emotions.
My dad passed away in 2018. We were living in different states for most of my childhood, he moved back when I had my second child in 2012 and while I loved him, we didn’t have the kind of bond from my childhood that holidays like Father’s Day seem to celebrate. I know I’m not alone in this. Many others are navigating grief, distance, or unresolved pain during a season that highlights what’s missing.
Feeling the Grief While Giving Grace
If you’ve lost a parent, whether to death, distance, or difficult decisions, you’re allowed to feel everything.
You can miss what you had or what you wish you had. You can cry while scrolling past everyone’s perfect captions or you can sit in silence, journal, or light a candle. Your grief doesn’t need to look like anyone else’s.
Ways I Cope on These Hard Holidays
- I Let Myself Feel – Whether it’s sadness, anger, or peace, I let the day be what it is without forcing celebration.
- I Honor My Story – I might share a memory, look through photos, or simply say a prayer.
- I Focus on My Own Parenting – Being a parent myself, I try to focus on showing up fully for my kids, even if it looks different than the way I was parented.
- I Set Boundaries – If I need to take a break from social media or skip a gathering, I give myself permission.
You Are Not Alone
If you struggle with Mother’s Day or Father’s Day because of an absent parent or because someone you love is no longer here, you are not alone. These days are tender. Your story matters. And it’s okay to feel both the sorrow and the strength that come from walking through it.
Read more on Leaning on Jesus in Every Season
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