As Mother's Day approaches, Dr. Robin says it's important to realize that the day has different meanings for different people. "This day, for some people, is a day of pure joy, pure excitement, pure celebration," Dr. Robin says. "For others, it is pure loneliness, it's aching and it's pain. For many others, it is a combination of the two."
Some people have very good relationships with their mothers and love to honor the day. Others, who didn't grow up with their mother or who had a mother who was emotionally unavailable or overly critical, may have a hard time on the day, Dr. Robin says. Likewise, if you are a mother who lost a child or a woman who wanted children but couldn't for whatever reason, Dr. Robin says that Mother's Day can be especially difficult. "Beware of all the people who are around you, each of us having a different story, a different experience about what the word "mother" means—about what the experience of mothering means," Dr. Robin says.
Dr. Robin says it is time to look at Mother's Day from a different perspective and make it your own. "Recraft Mother's Day in a way that it has a special and unique meaning for you," Dr. Robin says. "If you have connections with women—not just your biological mother, but all of the people who have walked your way and blessed your journey and have put a new song in your heart—absolutely reach out to them." If you are true to yourself, Dr. Robin says you can transform Mother's Day into a very meaningful and fulfilling experience.
