If today is hard because she’s not here, you’re not alone. Honor her memory. Feel the sadness without shame. And know that the love she gave you is still alive in you.

God,

Mother’s Day is hard when your mother is gone. Everyone’s celebrating, posting tributes, making plans — and I’m just missing her. Missing the sound of her voice. Missing her advice. Missing the one person who loved me in a way no one else ever will. She left too soon. I wasn’t ready. I still need her.

God, hold the parts of me that still ache for her.

– Jacqueline Whitney

So today, I’m asking you to comfort me in the grief that never fully goes away. Help me hold the sadness and the gratitude at the same time – grateful for the years I had with her, but grieving the years I’ll never get. Let me feel her love even though she’s not here. Let me hear her voice in my memory when I need guidance. Let me honor her by living in a way that would make her proud.

God, hold the parts of me that still ache for her. Carry what feels too heavy today. And remind me that even though she’s gone, the love she gave me is still here. It shaped me. It’s woven into who I am. And that will never leave.

Thank you for giving me a mother worth missing. Help me carry her legacy with grace.

Amen.

Jacqueline Whitney is the author Held: A 50 Day Devotional For Parents and All That You Deserve.