A Note from the Editor:  As Lissa and I discussed her writing a new blog post for Mother's Day this year we realized that it felt much bigger and divinely timed to re-post this Mother's Day post from last year. It was so impactful, and we have so many new readers to Owning Pink, that we don't want anyone to miss this message and, for those who've already read it, perhaps you'll get even more out of it this time around.

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, so let me start by sending out a great big whopping Happy Mother’s Day to those of you who are celebrating your fabulous mothers and whooping it up with your fabulous children. I’m sending you all my love and sending out three big WOOTs in hopes that you have a wonderful day.

But as much as I love you and wish you well, today’s post is not for you (no offense!).

As an OB/GYN, I know Mother’s Day can be a tough day for many women -- those who have been unable to conceive, lost pregnancies, had abortions, given their baby up for adoption, chosen not to reproduce, or wound up having that decision made by default. And if you’ve inherited children through marriage, you may feel sort of second fiddle to the biological Mommies, even if you’re the one making lunch for six kids every day while biological Mommy lives on her boyfriend’s yacht.

If you’re one of those women -- and if you are, you’re SO not alone -- Mother’s Day brunches, kids making hand-woven pot holders, and over-the-top flower displays at the local grocery store may leave you feeling…well…left out. Or maybe even teary.

But I’m here to tell you that you don’t have to bear children to be a Mommy and you don’t have to be a Mommy to make the huge difference in the life of a child.

You Don’t Have To Bear Children To Be A Mommy

Please welcome back the fabulous Laura Campbell, divorce and life reinvention consultant and founder of The D Spot, helping women regroup, renew, and reinvent themselves before and after divorce. Thanks, Laura!

Do you ever have days when it just feels so hard?! 

I didn’t really know what this felt like until later in my marriage when I couldn’t figure out why some days (more and more as time when on) felt “hard” to get through.

And there were many hard days once I got separated, went through my divorce and began to move forward after.

To be completely honest with you, there are still days when it feels just so hard.

A client said to me today, “is it really possible to have the life you dream of? I only ask because no one I know is living their dream life… as a matter of fact, so many of them are not happy.” 

I can’t begin to tell you just how sad I was to hear her ask this question. As a coach, I am surrounded by people--other coaches, experts, consultants and amazing women who are all on a journey towards living their ideal life.

This picture, featuring four generations of my maternal side, was taken in 1944. My mom is the little one up front.

When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of my family’s dressing (known as “stuffing” in other parts of the country). The family dressing recipe comes from my maternal side and has been passed down for I don’t know how many generations. My maternal great-grandmother was 96 when she died and she was making that dressing until the last couple years of her life, when she lost her eyesight. My grandmother is now 90, and she still makes it. My mother makes it. My sister makes it. I’ve made it many times over the past few months. (I can make a whole meal off of it!)