Mother’s Week 2021: Day 7
By Armanie Miranda
I wasn't sure how to embrace Mother's Day this year. I almost felt expected to grieve, given that my mom is no longer on earth anymore and I can't physically be with her. Do I cry? Would I be a bad daughter for not somberly reflecting on her the entire day? Do I plague myself with "what ifs" or "what could have beens?"
Instead, however, in that day and this present moment, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude and love for my late mother and all the mothers I'm surrounded by.
I think of my aunts and cousins who are mothers but have also provided for me and been there for me at confusing or messy moments - from letting me do laundry at their place, inviting me over for dinner, to letting me stay at their house in high school when my life was falling apart. I celebrate my step-mom who is always so kind and nurturing. I try to comfort some of my grandmothers who lost a child; I celebrate the endless amount all my grandmothers do and have done. I celebrate my friend's mothers, who have always taken me in and welcomed me - from letting me stay at their house while I deal with an infestation, to making me French toast and always being willing to teach me how to sew an apron. I celebrate them and their beautiful, inclusive, generous souls. And of course, I remember my mother who passed away unexpectedly two years ago. Rather than recollecting intentionally suppressed memories or asking "what could have beens," I choose to remember her sacrifices and all she brought to the world. The easy way she made other people laugh, the way she took care of me when I was sick, the way she cooked, and so much more. I celebrate her and who she was, her courage, her big heart, her all.
Armanie Miranda (right) with her mom.
Mother's Day isn't just a day to grieve for me; it's a day to celebrate. A day to remember. A day to comfort. A day to thank. A day to be grateful for all the mothers of all forms I've been honored to have in my life, including my mom who now resides somewhere else.
Along with celebration, gratitude will always be at the heart of Mother's Day for me. I celebrate the life Christ has given me with gratitude. I also celebrate the life my mother and so many other mothers continue to give me - and I do it with an endless, tremendous amount of gratitude. As endlessly and tremendously as they've given to me.
