10 Meaningful Ways to Remember Your Mum on Mother's Day
Mother's Day can be a challenging time for anyone who has experienced the death of their mum, especially children and young people. As stores fill up with cards and gifts especially for the occasion, it can be a painful reminder of their grief,
Coping with bereavement is a complex process, and the pangs of grief can reappear unexpectedly. Memories of your mum can be triggered by so many things, whether it be smelling a perfume they used to wear, seeing something that would have made them laugh, going somewhere you once went with them and countless more.
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Coping with grief
At Scotty's Little Soldiers, we encourage you to celebrate your parent's life rather than avoid thinking about them on difficult days like Mother's Day. They may no longer be with us, but that doesn’t mean their memory can’t live on. To help you honour your mother's memory, we’ve compiled a list of ten ways you can pay tribute to her this Mother’s Day and all year round, celebrating your loved one in a way that is meaningful to you.
Listen to her favourite music
Music is a great way to evoke memories and make us feel more connected to a person. Why not spend some time listening to your mum's favourite music? Maybe you can even remember her singing along to it.
Have a special dinner to celebrate her memory
Think about your mother's favourite foods or recipes. Why not cook her favourite dish in her memory, or order her favourite takeaway to enjoy as family?
Celebrate how special your mum was
You could try having a picnic in the park or a special lunch at home. Play games, listen to music, and enjoy good food while celebrating your mum. Don't feel guilty for having fun and smiling. Your mum would want you to be happy.
Write a Mother's Day card, letter, or poem
Express your thoughts and feelings on paper. Writing can help you process and understand your emotions, and you can then keep what you’ve written in a memory box or share it with someone you trust.
Plant something in your mother’s memory
If possible, visit your mum's grave or resting place, or consider planting something in your garden to create a special place where you can feel close to her. If there was a certain type of flower or plant she especially liked, this could be a great choice.
Blow bubbles to send her your love
Rather than releasing balloons or lanterns that can harm the environment and wildlife, why not blow bubbles and send wishes that way? Watching them float up and disappear can be a personal, soothing way of feeling more connected to your mum.
Create a scrapbook about your mum
Compile photos, special memories, pieces of clothing, stories, certificates – anything that reminds you of your mother. When you're feeling sad, you can look through the scrapbook to feel close to her.
Set a challenge in her memory
Challenge yourself to complete a goal in your mum’s memory. It's an opportunity to raise money for a charity and ask people to sponsor you in honour of her. You could even raise money for a charity that was especially close to her heart.
Bake a cake and make a wish
Bake your mother's favourite cake and blow out the candles while sending a wish to her. This is a lovely way to send a special message to your mum, even if you can't be together on Mother's Day.
Talk
Share stories and memories of your mum with your family and friends. Talking about her can help you feel less alone, and you might even learn something new about her. If your mother died when you were young and you don’t have many memories of her, this can also be a great way to build a picture of the person she was.
It can be challenging to share memories of your loved one at first, but celebrating their life with those closest to you can help you focus on the good times and deal with your loss.
Supporting bereaved military children
Scotty’s Little Soldiers is a charity dedicated to supporting children and young people (0 to 25 years) who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the British Armed Forces.
Inspired by the experience of Army widow Nikki Scott, following the death of her husband Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009, the charity, which was set up in 2010, provides support and guidance to hundreds of bereaved military children and young people throughout their childhood.
Services offered to Scotty’s members include access to child bereavement support, guidance to parents and carers, personal education and learning assistance (including grants), and fun activities such as holiday respite breaks and group events. These are all designed to remind the children and young people supported by Scotty’s that they are not alone.
If you are the parent or carer of a bereaved military child or young person, click here.
If you work with bereaved children & young people, click here.
If you are a bereaved young person seeking support, click here.
