Mother’s Day a ‘complicated’ holiday for many

Mother’s Day is often associated with flower deliveries and brunch reservations, but for many the day can lead to complicated emotions.

Mother’s Day is often associated with flower deliveries and brunch reservations, but for many the day can lead to complicated emotions.

Megan Sheldon is an end-of-life doula and celebrant and the co-founder of Be Ceremonial.

She explains that for many, the holiday can be a painful reminder of grief, loss, estrangement and infertility.

"You might have lost your mom, you might have lost your child or your pregnancy,” she says. “Mother’s Day can often bring up for people that gut punch, that reminder that you don’t have a mom or are trying to become a mom.”

Have a range of difficult emotions on the annual holiday is something she says is normal for a lot of people. And it's something she's familiar with through her own experience.

"I found out I was pregnant for the first time on Mother's Day and I thought, 'How perfect how wonderful.' Then, five weeks later when we miscarried. I knew that Mother's Day would hold these complicated relationships for me."

Her experience led her to co-create Be Ceremonial, an online platform helping people create ceremonies to honour a wide-range of experiences