I genuinely enjoy Mother’s Day because it reminds me to slow down and honor my mother and other women who have poured their love into my life.

But I will be among the first to admit that the second Sunday in May is pretty miserable when you aren’t getting to parent the little one(s) you desperately want in your life. All around you are flower arrangements, family brunches, and emotional commercials for greeting cards Publix–but none of that is for you.

Maybe you’ve lost a child, miscarried a baby, or been unable to conceive. Maybe you aren’t married yet. I know I have friends who look at my life and think–as Ted Mosby does–

The truth is, I thought I’d be married by now and going through all this stuff alongside you guys. But even if I meet the [person] of my dreams right this second, I’m still one night and nine months away from having a family of my own.*

A lot of women–married and single–would rather not get out of bed on Mother’s Day. (The same goes for men, but we’ll talk about them in June!)

This year I want to enjoy time with my mama and mother-in-law, and not allow myself to be wounded by well-meaning ministers or money-grubbing card makers. So I am writing “Mother’s Day Survival: a 5-part Series for the ‘Barren’ Woman” that I’ll post online next week. Each day I’ll highlight a common Mother’s Day tradition that I’ve found painful in the past. I hope you will then comment about the post, explaining how you reacted to any pain and longing induced by that tradition in your life.

To encourage your comments, I’m also doing a giveaway next week! For every day you comment on a post, you’ll be entered to win a signed copy of Barren among the Fruitful and a “Be Hopeful” necklace.

Let’s work together not only to survive but to thrive this Mother’s Day!

*Kourtney Kang, “The Stinson Missile Crisis,” How I Met Your Mother, season 7, episode 4, directed by Pamela Fryman, aired October 3, 2011 (Netflix).