Motherlove Meet-Up

The Sandy Hill Community Centre in Ottawa is a small but beautiful facility in the heart of the University of Ottawa neighbhourhood. We met on a bright and incredibly warm Sunday morning for the beginning of November, I had the ask if it was possible to turn the air conditioning on!

With a group of us gathered on yoga mats and sitting on pillows in a circle, we got a cup of piping hot Bridgehead coffee (thanks Bridgehead for the donation!) and introduced ourselves. Our stories were different and yet so familiar - our mothers had died, and we were still left with a longing for closure, to have unanswered questions answered, to find some kind of peace in our grief that isn’t available yet.

We talked about the holidays and how hard they are with in-laws that love us but don’t understand how much we’re suffering and just want to be alone. We talked about how friends, family members and even our partners can’t relate to our grief. We saw ourselves in each other.

I was surprised at how easily I felt so comfortable with people I had never met before - there was an easiness in our morning that made me so happy.

I knew almost instantly that we would have to do this again! I am so looking forward to the next meet-up which I hope to organize in February. My dream is to have Motherlove Meet-Up events across Canada one day. If you’re interested in organizing a meet-up in your city, please let me know! Together, we can build a community of women who can come together and support each other through our grief.

Sending you a big hug,

Janet