My first child did not arrive until I was close to my 38^th birthday, so I spent years thinking Mother’s Day was someone else’s holiday.  I never imagined I would have children – it was a day where I just showed love to the Moms in my life, but it was never about me.

Then I had kids.

When they were little, my husband would help, but it still wasn’t about me because babies are needy little creatures, especially when they are nursing. Eventually, I could get my kids to do projects with me on Mother’s Day. (My husband cooks and I get the kids to help me plant a garden or do other household chores which will give us time together.) My Mother’s Day is usually nice.

For some women, Mother’s Day is agony. I personally watched friends suffer through the holiday after losing a parent, struggling with infertility, or having had a complicated relationship with their own mother. […]