575,491 Americans have died of COVID. The people that died are mothers, fathers, grandparents, friends, spouses, aunts, uncles and other loved ones. Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday and I am sure there are many people grieving their mothers due to COVID and don’t want to be reminded of the loss of their mother on Mother’s Day.

I also think people should be mindful and not automatically say Happy Mother’s Day because just like not everyone celebrates Merry Christmas not everyone has a mother.

Many companies now allow customers to click that they don’t want to receive email notifications for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

Yahoo Life reported on this decision by companies, citing Twitter user Renee Dalo as saying “More of this energy, please. It’s not a happy day for everyone.” 

Dalo is right. Both Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are not happy days for everyone, for many it’s a time of sadness and I am sure many people due to COVID are grieving now. 

“Obviously, there is no replacement for your mother this Mother’s Day, but there are constructive ways to deal with the day that might make you feel closer to her memory and to the people in your life. If you choose to ignore the day altogether, we support you; just try and stay away from methods that would be classified as ‘negative coping,” according to Hospice of St. Lawrence Valley.

Hospice of St. Lawrence then has a list of things in different categories that people can do on Mother’s Day if they are grieving. For people who want to do what they call “lay low,” some of the things they include on their list is making Mother’s Day a self care day and they link a website that gives 64 self care ideas.

Hospice of St. Lawrence pointed out that there are other women in people’s lives that they could spend the day with if they don’t have their mother.

Mother’s Day can be a holiday of love or heartbreak for many. If a woman in your life is offended with the phrase “Happy Mother’s Day,” don’t take it personally. You can empathize and try to understand their perspective. But no matter what they say or how they feel, the important part is that you take care of yourself on this potentially difficult holiday.