A Reflection for Bereaved Mother’s Day

This Sunday, May 4th, is Bereaved Mother’s Day — a day to remember and honor the mothers who have experienced the pain of losing a child. For many of us, it’s not a day that the world recognizes, but for those who’ve walked this heartbreaking path, it’s a day to pause and reflect on the love and grief we continue to carry.

Yesterday, I recorded a panel for the Healing Hearts Podcast with four incredible mothers who also know what it’s like to lose a child. We spoke about the hard stuff — the real questions that so many bereaved mothers ask themselves, even years later. Questions that don’t always have easy answers but are always deeply felt.

One question that really stopped me in my tracks was:
What part of your loss still haunts you?

The answer came to me quickly:
The silence.
The silence I still feel.
The silence of never hearing Alivia cry.

I had a healthy pregnancy. Everything seemed fine. I was ready to hold my baby. But when she was born, there was no cry. Just silence. And that silence has haunted me ever since.

It’s a silence I carry with me — one I never expected. I know I can never change it, but that moment, that feeling, it’s still there. Every year that passes, it still hits me in a place I didn’t expect.

As we shared our stories in the panel, I realized how much we all carry in different ways. We talked about everything — the loneliness, the guilt, the overwhelming grief that sometimes feels like it will never let go. We talked about how our relationships changed, how we learned to navigate a world that doesn’t always understand the depth of our loss, and how we’ve each found ways to keep our babies’ memories alive.

This Sunday, on Bereaved Mother’s Day, I want to take a moment to say to every mother who has lost a child — your grief matters. Your love matters. Even if you don’t hear your child’s cry, even if you’re walking through this world without them beside you, you are still a mother.

And it’s okay if it still hurts. It’s okay if it still feels heavy. Grief isn’t something you "move on" from. It’s something you carry with you. And that’s okay.

I hope, when the podcast episode is released, you’ll take the time to listen. Not because we have answers or solutions, but because I want you to know you’re not alone. You’re never alone in this journey.

So, on this Bereaved Mother’s Day, let’s remember that love doesn’t stop when our babies aren’t physically here. We continue to love them every day, in every silent moment. And that love, that grief, and that journey is something we share with each other.