My Mother’s Day has always been about handmade gifts and flowers for my mum and my kids continue that tradition. The only thing I find hard is the absence of a partner to help the kids make Mother’s Day special. I don’t get spoilt on Mother’s Day, it’s just another day, but with presents. Thank goodness for Mother’s Day stalls at school.

Your writing has, over multiple mothers’ days and normal, painful-for-no-reason days, really helped me. Helped me to think about these things, and my own wounds, and comforted me that I am not alone. This mothers’ day I feel less hurt, less alone, less broken. Still broken, and I guess I always will be. But also aware of those others around me who are broken or damaged and yet manage to be incredible people who I stand in awe of. I no longer feel quite so sure that I am unloveable and selfish and worthless, like my mother made me feel. I have women in my life who are not mothering me, but who are there for me and give me some of those things, and who help me to mother myself.

Here’s to solidarity and to what healing we can find in each other.

Twice now I have been prepared to say goodbye to my mum (major surgery for her) and once she attempted suicide. So every day is a bonus.

But my loss of my father, of a real father, lets me see just a little glimpse of where you are coming from. My father-in-law, however, he is the man I would have loved to be my real dad. Loving, open, inclusive.

Your pain is so eloquently expressed in this post, and I still just want to hold you, to take some of that pain away. I am sorry I haven’t chatted more over the last year. I shall try to change that.

Much love to you all, the best of mothers.