Whether through tears, laughter or quiet reflection, grief and gratitude can share the same space.

Mother’s Day is an opportunity to celebrate the woman who raised you with love. This Sunday, many moms will be woken up to breakfast in bed. Some mothers will enjoy spending time with their families, while others will pamper themselves with a day at the spa or the beach.

Conversely, some women experience bittersweet emotions associated with Mother’s Day. For those who have lost a mother, a child or a maternal figure, it’s a reflection of who’s missing and a love that still lingers in their hearts. Grief doesn’t follow a calendar. It hits hardest when the world expects you to smile. Yet, even in sorrow, many find ways to honor the women and children who shaped their lives.

“Honoring your mother [or child] doesn’t have to look like a celebration,” explains psychotherapist Victoria Grinman, Ph.D., LCSW-R, founder of Growing Kind Minds. “It can be quiet, reflective or intentionally unplugged.”

Many people perceive grief and joy as separate feelings rather than companions. They sometimes arrive in extreme waves of emotions, especially on days like Mother’s Day. One minute, you’re crying during breakfast, wishing you could remind them one more time how much you love them. Then, shortly afterward, you’re laughing while flipping through an old photo album.

For those who have experienced deep loss, allowing both emotions to coexist is healing. Giving yourself permission to feel everything without judgment transforms the day from something to endure into a sacred space for remembrance.

Grief is personal. Paying tribute to a mother or maternal figure who has........

© Forbes