A friend of mine lost her mother this week. The statement, “I’m so sorry for the loss of your mother” seems so inadequate to say to someone when they’ve experienced this loss.
But in reality, there isn’t anything that does seem adequate. There’s nothing that is significant enough, nothing at a high enough level of language that can describe the pain we feel when we lose our mother.
To my mother in Heaven, Thank you for loving me and helping me. I miss you dearly. You are always in my heart.
I think there is one thing that can be said to those who grieve the loss of their mother: the consuming pain you feel is a great testament to the love you shared.
Over time, the pain may subside, but it never goes away. You just learn to live with it. You learn how to start breathing again and you learn to not fight the grief—you just let the process work.
If you still have your mother, never take a single second with her for granted. Spend as much time with her as you can. Have meals together. Shop with her. Laugh with her. Share your life with her. Share the good times and the bad. She wants to be part of your whole life—not just the good times.
There is nothing your mother won’t do for you. No road she won’t travel, no bridge she won’t cross, no fight she will back down from to protect you.
The fact that she would do anything for you is one of the reasons we grieve so much. We know we have lost our best friend. We have lost our champion. We have lost our confidant. We have lost our nurturer, our teacher, our therapist…we have lost our mother.
Show her you love her in every possible way. Seek her advice and relish her friendship while you can. Appreciate the raising she gave you and let her know that you’re so proud to call her mother.
Sending you blessings of love and gratitude from Sterrett, Alabama!
Charity M. Richey-Bentley