For a few years, I’ve posted this image around Mother’s Day. As someone who has felt like an outsider and witnessed loved ones struggling with infertility or loss, it felt important to me that we remain mindful of how our traditions affect people.
This year, I hesitated. It’s not that I’ve changed my mind. Rather, I noticed something that was missing: accessibility. This year, a number of people in my life have become so ill that they struggled to participate in Mother’s Day, and are nervously anticipating Father’s Day. Some are bed-bound. Others simply cannot travel to be with their parents or children. Still others cannot eat food or be around fragrant flowers.