SANTA BARBARA — The annual celebration of Mother’s Day is meant to be a commemoration of the nurturing nature of mothers. The day is often filled with family get-togethers, luncheons, flowers and handmade gifts and cards.
For others, however, Mother’s Day can be a bittersweet reminder for those who have lost their mothers and mothers who have lost a child, turning a joyful holiday into one filled with pain and grief.
Suzanne Grimmesey of Santa Barbara knows this all too well as this will be the second Mother’s Day without her mother Elaine.
“My mom passed away a little over a year and it has been a time of growth and learning about my own identity in the world without her,” said Grimmesey. “Who am I without my mom? I’ve been a daughter my entire life and now, without either of my parents, am I still a daughter? I know I am, but It feels different now.”
