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Should anyone ever feel entitled to what another’s body produces?. The arrival of a new baby is meant to be an exciting time for many, however, there can unfortunately be complications along the way that can make it a traumatic experience.

This post is arriving a day late and a dollar short, which is both a common idiom and 2014 movie staring Whoopie Goldberg that I have barely heard of and never watched. I *technically* wrote this poem after Mother's Day but it was inspired by my childhood home and my mum, so here we are.

**This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events that I have experienced firsthand; used with permission. Mother’s Day is upon us. That Sunday in May where a lot of us will be planning something special for the mothers in our lives.

I have a difficult relationship with my mother that makes Mother’s Day a challenge, to say the least. How do I handle my conflicting feelings around this time of year?. Any time there is a difficult situation, especially one that involves emotions, healing and boundaries, you must be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace. During Mother’s Day, be gentle with yourself and try not to allow your emotions to beat you up. Your emotions are here for a reason, and you are meant to feel them because you need to realize something, process it and release what’s inside. Don’t ignore them. Look for ways to understand, process and release your conflicting feelings.

I do not know what kind of mother I am. All I know is that my children are my world. If my children are sad, I am sad. When they are happy, I am happy. If they are ill, I hurt. I worry if they get sick; I worry if I do not hear from them for over two days. Whatever it may be, they and their feelings are a part of me. Not that I want it to be that way. It just is. Maybe it is because I have experienced the loss of a son. I do not know, or maybe it is just part of nature.