Mother's Day: For Those Without a Mother

Here’s a prayer for Mother’s Day from Mark Sandin’s The God Article website.

A Mother’s Day Prayer
for Those Without a Mother

Good and gracious God,

You know our hearts
and you know that today some of our hearts ache.
As others rightfully celebrate the joy and love of the mothers in their lives,
this day, for some of us, is a somber reminder of the absence in our lives.

For some of us, if we buy flowers today,
it will only be in order to place them by a graveside.

For some of us, if we buy a card today,
it will only be in hopes of knowing our mothers one day.

For some of us, if we buy a gift today,
it will only be in pensive anticipation of repairing a breached relationship.

For some of us, there will be no hugs today,
no gentle kisses on the cheek, no laughter, no smiles from ear to ear.

For some of us, today is a day of longing.
For some it will be tearful.
For others it will be wistful.
For others it will just be empty.

Be with us in these times, even as we strive to be present for each other.

Remind us that the relationships we are longing for today
can be recreated in us.

Remind us that the motherly blessings we yearn to receive today,
the joy,
the acceptance,
the caring,
the understanding,
the compassion,
the unconditional love,
are still ours to experience
by extending them to others.

Whether to honor the mothers that we knew,
or to envision the mothers that we hope for,
sharing these gifts with others
can not only begin to heal the missing space in our hearts,
but, we will find that in sharing them with others
we will begin to experience them more abundantly in our own lives
as the gifts are returned to us.

Inspire us all to be the bearers of these nurturing gifts.
May others know more joy, acceptance, caring,
understanding, compassion, and love because of us.

May we play even a small part in mending broken hearts,
broken relationships, and this sometimes broken world. Amen.