Blue Mother’s Day Campaign

This Mother’s Day, let’s hold space for those who are grieving.

You can show online support for those who are feeling blue this Mother’s Day through the Blue Mother’s Day campaign in two ways:

• Use the hashtag #BlueMothersDay along with loving, supportive content; or with your story to raise awareness.
• Draw a blue heart on your hand and post the photo on your social media channels. You can also download the #BlueMothersDay graphic to use on Facebook and Twitter.

Click here to download the #BlueMothersDay blue heart image.

Why is Mother’s Day a trigger for grief?

Mother’s Day is a wonderful opportunity to show appreciation for the mothers or mother figures in your life, but it can also be a heartbreaking day for many. There are a lot of different circumstances that can cause grief on Mother’s day, including:

• Mothers who have lost children
• Those who have had a miscarriage
• Those experiencing infertility
• Those who are childless not by choice
• Mothers who have given children up for adoption
• Those who have lost their mothers
• Children who have strained relationships with their mothers
• Mothers who have strained relationships with their children

For those who are grieving, Mother’s Day is a reminder of what they don’t have or have lost.

Why Blue Mother’s Day?

Blue Mother’s Day is an opportunity to support those who are feeling “blue” on Mother’s Day. From strangers wishing them a “Happy Mother’s Day” to social media streams filled with reminders of their loss, grief triggers seem unavoidable.

By participating in the Blue Mother’s Day Campaign, you can hold space for those who are grieving, including yourself. What does it mean to “hold space”? According to Adam Brady at the Chopra Center:

Holding space is a conscious act of being present, open, allowing, and protective of what another needs in each moment…To hold means to embrace or encircle someone or something in your grasp. Physically, this might take the form of a hug or the cradling of a hand in yours. But you can also embrace someone non-physically with your intention, attention and energy.

Space refers to the immediate environment you are sharing with another. This, too, may be the physical space of a room, but more frequently refers to the mental and emotional environment you are in with others. Put together, these words embody the principle of surrounding the environment with your awareness in a way that provides comfort and compassion for all.

By participating in the Blue Mother’s Day campaign, you can hold “digital” space by contributing online content that supports those who are grieving. Imagine the difference in experience if those who are grieving could use one hashtag to find messages of support, love and acceptance on Mother’s Day.

How to Participate

You can show online support for those who are feeling blue this Mother’s Day through the Blue Mother’s Day campaign in two ways:

• Use the hashtag #BlueMothersDay along with loving, supportive content; or with your story to raise awareness.
• Draw a blue heart on your hand and post the photo on your social media channels. You can also download the #BlueMothersDay graphic to use on Facebook and Twitter. 

Click here to download the #BlueMothersDay blue heart image.

Here are some other ways you can support those who are grieving on Mother’s Day:

• Call or send a text, email, card, or flowers to let them know you’re thinking of them. Include a message about what they mean to you. Emily McDowell has a beautiful line of empathy-focused cards for tough situations.
• Let them know you’re available to listen. Be willing to sit with them in their grief without trying to fix it.
• Plan an alternative way to spend the day. That could be planning a fun activity, or sitting with them in their grief, depending on what they’re needing or feeling up to.
• If the person is grieving the loss of a mother or child, share positive memories you have of the person they lost.
• Don’t try to cheer them up. Check out the amazing video “How to Help a Grieving Friend” by Megan Devine at Refuge in Grief to find out why.
• Encourage self-care. Send a gift card for a massage, manicure, or favorite restaurant. Let them know it’s okay if they don’t feel like leaving the house, want to binge Netflix, or take a break from social media.

Does Blue Mother’s Day take away from Mother’s Day?

Blue Mother’s Day isn’t meant to take away from Mother’s Day or imply that it shouldn’t be celebrated. Mother’s Day is a great opportunity to show appreciation for the mothers or mother figures in your life. By all means, celebrate!

The purpose of this campaign is to recognize that not everyone finds joy or feels like celebrating on Mother’s Day. For those who are grieving, it creates a separate online space to acknowledge that grief, easily find messages of love and support, and create community.

Add your voice by participating online this Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, 2019.