Mother’s Day was Sunday, a holiday that some of us embrace and some of us have mixed feelings about. Some people have beautiful memories of being mothered or mothering, and Mother’s Day fills them with happy memories and feelings of being loved and cared for, or extending love and care to others.

But Mother’s Day is a complicated holiday for many. There are people who didn’t experience good mothering, were not raised by their mothers, or whose mothers (or children) are no longer with them. What about the women who never became mothers who wanted to, or women who don’t feel good about how they mothered? For some, Mother’s Day can be a conflicting experience of remembering things lost or longed for. 

Remember that the Mother archetype is available to everyone, and she can show up in your life to any degree that feels right for you. You don’t have to embrace the version of her that gushes with unconditional love and acceptance. Of course, you CAN embrace that part of her, and if that version helps you feel more connected to yourself and the love available to you at every moment, feel free to connect with that image and make it stronger as it supports your healing and wellbeing.

How do you approach your relationship with the Mother archetype? Do you run toward her with open arms, or are you more wary? (Know that it's totally normal to feel either way…there’s no shame here.) Is it too painful to even think about having a relationship with her? Maybe you have questions for her before you’ll let her in. 

It's not unusual to feel duality in this space/relationship, even though most of us think that it should be all sunshine and spring flowers. 

How does she show up in your life? 

Maybe she is present when you are deep in your creativity, birthing something new into the world. Maybe she is there when you are out kayaking or working in your garden. Maybe you embody her when you tend to your pets and plants, or when you stand at the edge of the water and communicate with the moon and stars. Or maybe she feels absent, triggering your all too familiar feelings of being cut off from any form of goodness and connection.

Know that the Mother archetype extends an invitation for deeper connection and healing, while also having the patience to hold any degree of estrangement that is there. Unconditional love, challenging conversations and the slow reparation of rifts and disappointments are all sacred parts of the journey, from which you can never be separated. If you need more guidance and understanding of your relationship to the Mother Archetype, please feel free to reach out and let’s have a conversation that will help you find your own sense of connection, belonging and knowing your rightful place in the universe.