A Few Schools Cancel Mother’s Day Celebration in Honor of Deceased Students’ Moms
The first memory I have of Mother’s Day is crying at school with hundreds of girls. One of my best friends had lost her mom and singing Mother’s Day songs was never easy on her. She would cry all day long, and all of us wept next to her. It was a nightmare. Something I pray my girls would never have to experience. Even my Mother always refused to celebrate that day as she felt it was unintentionally cruel.
Years went by, now I have two daughters, and somehow Mother’s Day has become more tolerable. I turned from never wanting to hear about it to expecting my little ones to show me love and maybe get me a little gift. That only lasted until yesterday when my daughter’s school board sent us an email about celebrating Family Day instead of Mother’s Day on a different day. The decision came after two seniors lost their mothers this year and the school board refused to be inconsiderate. Now, parents, grandparents, and siblings can celebrate to ease other kids’ pain.
I’m beyond touched and impressed that the school put two students’ tragedy and loss above us all. It is so humane and it sets a great example for every student in the school. When your friend is in pain, you hold his hand and show endless support. Even if it means you will celebrate privately. This is a life lesson about compassion, loss, and selflessness.
Multiple parents announced that their schools won’t be celebrating as well for similar reasons. It is not just students who lost their moms, but those who were abandoned, and teachers who are barren or lost their children. I read comments by parents asking students to stay home if they can’t handle it. Well, if you only have a dad who most probably has a job, you won’t have the luxury of skipping school and staying at home. Moms, this is a chance to teach your children about kindness.
A school is your second home and when you lose a parent or a child, you need an intense support system to overcome the pain. As much as I would love to watch my girl in a costume singing for me, I’d hate to see a miserable child on campus. Maybe we can all try to celebrate after school hours this year if it means we are easing someone’s pain.
