As Mother’s Day approaches, we mothers who have lost angels have many mixed emotions. We feel loss and sadness and some days we just want to curl up in a ball and grieve the child we lost. But at the same time, we have other children who need us to celebrate their lives here on earth.

Mothers are expected to have supernatural strength. Strength to hide tears that are fighting to flow. Strength to put on a happy face when we really want to scream and cry. Strength to get out of bed and face the world when we want to hide in a dark cave. Strength to cook and clean and engage with family when we want to hide away in a far away corner. Strength to keep living when some days dying sounds easier.

Mother’s Day is another day to celebrate mom warriors that sometimes feel like failures, but aren’t. The fact that we wake up, get out of bed and take daily breaths make us winners. We pray all the moms who have lost angels will allow themselves some grace and forgiveness and let others treat them as the heroes that they truly are. Not every day is easy, many days are hard.

Most of us wouldn’t trade this journey for anything in the world. Being a mother is the greatest gift we were ever given. It is our hardest challenge but also the best treasure we will ever know. So we will continue to try and enjoy this day. We will try to reflect on our blessings and hold our other children close. We hope mothers will count their blessings as well and squeeze their children tightly.

If you want to give to our fund to honor our AML warriors and help us fight, so no other mothers have to feel our loss and pain, you may give here.

curechildhoodcancer.org/United/

We are forever grateful,

Mandi, Anna, and Erika