a social experiment connecting people through a shared sense of loss on mother’s day.

In April 2016 I was sitting in a cafe, scrolling through social media when I saw an ad for Mother’s Day. I rolled my eyes and thought “ugh. Not this again.” But then I realized I’m probably not alone in these feelings. That there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of people feeling exactly the same.

Mother’s Day is a Hallmark holiday designed for a very specific person — someone with a living mother or child and an active mother-child relationship.

That’s what can make it hard. Because the celebration of Mother’s Day doesn’t capture the full breadth of experience of people who don’t fit into the traditional Mother’s Day mold. For those of us with non-living or estranged mother - child relationships, this day can be incredibly isolating.

This event is a response to that isolation. It’s for those of us who don’t quite fit into the traditional Mother’s Day mold, but still want to connect with others on this day. Mother’s Day will never be the same without your loved one, I get that. But by making space to sit with and acknowledge each other on this day, my hope is that you’ll feel a little more connected by knowing there are people out there missing someone, too. If there’s no Hallmark card for you, we’re your crew.

learn more and sign up for A Different Kind of Mothers Day 2021 here