Bereaved Mother’s Day: Saying Their Names Out Loud

Before I became part of this community, I had never even heard of Bereaved Mother’s Day.

And honestly, I wish none of us ever had to know it existed.

Bereaved Mother’s Day is observed the Sunday before Mother’s Day. It is a day created to honor mothers whose children are no longer here physically. A day to acknowledge the love we still carry, the grief we still feel, and the motherhood that did not end when our child took their last breath.

Because we are still mothers.

Even in loss.
Even in heartbreak.
Even in silence.

For many grieving moms, this day can feel complicated. While the world prepares for flowers, brunches, and celebrations, many of us are simply trying to survive the ache of missing our child. The anticipation of Mother’s Day can feel incredibly heavy when your arms are empty and your heart is carrying unimaginable loss.

I know that feeling deeply.

I lost my daughter, Schuylar, in July of 2022 after her battle with cancer. Since that day, grief has become something I carry every single day. There is no “moving on” from losing your child. There is no finish line for grief. There are still mornings I wake up and the reality feels impossible. There are moments when the weight of missing her takes my breath away.

The truth is—I struggle every single day.

But I have also learned something important in this journey: love does not end when life on earth ends.

And because my love for Schuylar continues, I choose to continue speaking her name out loud.

On Bereaved Mother’s Day and every other day, I will say her name. I will tell her stories. I will honor the kindness she carried, the light she brought into this world, and the legacy she left behind. I refuse to let grief silence the love between a mother and her child.

Our children deserve to be remembered.

One of the greatest fears grieving parents carry is that people will stop talking about our children. That the world will move on while we are still desperately trying to hold onto every memory, every laugh, every piece of them we can.

So today, I want grieving mothers to know this:

You are not alone.

Your child mattered.
Your grief matters.
Your motherhood matters.

Whether your loss was recent or decades ago, your love for your child is still real and still worthy of being acknowledged.

Through Broken to Beautiful, through support groups, retreats, conversations, prayer, and simply sitting beside one another in the pain, my heart is to support grieving moms as they walk this journey. Not because I have all the answers—but because I understand the heartbreak. I understand the loneliness. And I understand how healing it can be when someone simply says, “I see you.”

If you are a grieving mother reading this today, I hope you know there is no right or wrong way to grieve. Some days you may smile. Some days you may cry all day long. Some days you may feel strong, and other days you may barely make it through the day.

All of it is okay.

Today, I encourage you to say your child’s name out loud. Share their photo. Tell their story. Light a candle. Write them a letter. Honor them in whatever way feels meaningful to you.

Because they were here.
They were loved.
And they will always matter.

Today and every day, I will proudly say:

Schuylar.
My daughter.
Forever loved.
Forever remembered.