Bereaved Mother's

The Mother's Day I was pregnant with Dan, I looked at all the Mother's Day cards and couldn't wait for Dan to pick one out or create one in school.  He would be so proud of what he picked out or created.  

I had 5 Mother's Day's with him.  5 glorious days - with the last one just before his diagnosis of Niemann-Pick.

Then came the Mother's Day after we was gone.  One of the worst days I have had.  I felt like a failed mom - I couldn't keep my child safe, I couldn't protect him - I had failed as a mother.

The Mother's Day I was pregnant with Shelby, I started to look forward to those hand picked or hand created cards.  I was confident that I would have many years of those cards to look forward too.  My job as a mother wasn't complete - I was given a second chance.

The past couple of years, I have seen posts and articles about International Bereaved Mother's Day.  I usually see them the day of, and I never realize when it is coming.  I just realized that it is the 1st Sunday in May.

Anyway, today is that day - International Bereaved Mothers Day (#internationalbereavedmothersday).  Yes, it's a real day.  Would I say "Happy International Bereaved Mother's Day"?  Um, no.  But I have seen that phrase today.  Must be from someone who just didn't realize what it meant.

I found a great article on Huffington Post today.  Click here to read it.  You can visit the official page about this day here and some additional "holiday" information here.