Ode to a Bereaved Mother

{I See You; I Honor Your Strength}

When someone asks, “Is he your only child?” you look down, smile politely, and quickly and quietly say yes. Even though your heart and your body know you carried another, birthed another, heard another’s heartbeat, desperately loved another. That is the strength of a bereaved mother.

When on your child’s birthday, you order flowers to be put on their grave instead of planning a birthday party with their friends. That is the strength of a bereaved mother.

Instead of a living, thriving child to take home after delivery, you are given a memorial box to hold instead and drive home with an empty car seat. That is the strength of a bereaved mother.