Please do not wish random strangers a "Happy Mother's Day".

[Withywindle]

It is NOT an unloaded, emotionally neutral holiday.

On my Livejournal and Facebook, I've had several dear friends of mine post stories about how painful it is to have strangers who don't know your personal life at all wish you a "Happy Mother's Day" out of the blue.

One tried for years with her husband to get pregnant and paid for fertility treatments for a long time, only to learn the hard way there was no hope.

One recently had a miscarriage, of a very wanted pregnancy.

One is in her 60s and had three children - now she only has two, she lost one in a car accident 6 years ago. She treasures her living kids, but always remembers the one who was lost.

One is not a mother herself, but always associated Mother's Day with good times with her own beloved mother...who was murdered in a robbery two years ago.

I am not a mother myself, and have never wanted to be, and while I respect and admire motherhood to a huge degree, I have HUGE problems with the assumption that mature woman = mother.

Please don't. Say "have a nice day" or "have a great weekend" as you always do, but don't presume to comment on anyone's family status. 8 times out of 10 it'll be fine, but that 2 out of ten, it will cut someone to the heart.