Uncomfortable Celebrations

“Where did the time go?” I think to myself. Staring at my daughter dressed in her graduation gown, my heart simultaneously holding the joy of pride and the pain of letting her go.

“I miss you, mom,” marks the pages of my tear-stained journal this morning. In minutes my six children will wake with gifts of hugs and love to celebrate me on this Mother’s Day. The tension between gratefulness and grief leaves me feeling fragile.

The dichotomy in the celebration moments can be uncomfortable. Longing to feel only the joy and somehow not able to let go of the hurt.

But what if we could be okay with both? What if we allowed ourselves to feel it all, the good and bad? What if by doing so, we gave our pain and praise to God, knowing that He sees us, loves us, and holds us together when it hurts?

What if by God’s grace our hearts are strong enough to hold heartache and hope until we find wholeness in heaven?