Mother’s Day, in All Its Forms

As we move through the month of May, we know that Mother’s Day can linger in different ways for many - sometimes gently, sometimes more heavily. We wanted to take a moment to honour all the versions of motherhood that exist, in all their complexity.

When I sat down to write this Mother’s Day message, I paused. Because the truth is, how do you write about motherhood in a way that truly includes everyone?

How do you honour the joy, without overlooking the grief? The fullness, without ignoring the longing? The love, without forgetting the loss?

Motherhood is not one story. It is many.

For some, this day is filled with tiny hands, morning cuddles, and the quiet (or not-so-quiet) chaos of raising children. For others, it’s the ache of trying… waiting… hoping… wondering if this will be the year things change.

For some, it’s carrying a child in their body right now - on the edge of becoming something new. For others, it’s carrying a child in their heart - one they have loved deeply and lost.

And then there are those who are mothers in ways the world doesn’t always name or see. The ones who nurture, guide, hold, support, and love - again and again - without the title always being spoken.

This is why Mother’s Day can feel so layered. Because alongside the celebration, there can be grief. Alongside gratitude, there can be exhaustion. Alongside love, there can be longing.

And all of it belongs. There is no “right” way to feel today.

You don’t have to force joy if your heart feels heavy. You don’t have to sit in sadness if your heart feels full. You don’t have to explain or justify where you are.

Wherever this day meets you - whether softly, painfully, or somewhere in between - it is valid.

Today, we want to honour all versions of motherhood. The visible and the invisible. The beginning, the in-between, and the becoming. The moments filled with laughter, and the ones held quietly with tears.

If this day feels beautiful, we hold that with you. If this day feels hard, we hold that too. And if it feels like both at once... you are not alone in that.

With care, Clarinda

and the team at Psychotherapy In The City