Honoring, Remembering Our Mothers

By Jacqueline Sit, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- For some, Sunday will be the first Mother's Day where mom is no longer living and this could be difficult for loved ones to cope during this special day.

"She always went above and beyond for me my whole life. She sometimes went without so I can have," Angela Little said.

Angela Little has fond memories her mother, a bright eyed woman with an infectious smile. She passed away last winter and for the first time, Little is spending Mother's Day without her. Even through times of sadness, she says she's standing strong for her twin boys.

"I have to really try and stay strong and not let them see me fall apart, so it's been really tough especially around this time of the year," Little said.

A local hospice is offering help to those dealing with grief. Crossroads Hospice Bereavement Coordinator Adrian Martin suggests several ways to cope and remember these special loved ones who have passed on.

• Keep the memories alive, don't put the pictures away because a loved one is gone.
• Take flowers to her grave as an opportunity for a quiet moment to strengthen a bond you still share.
• Share memories with friends and families.
• Enjoy a 'Mom moment,' do something your mom would have enjoyed doing.

It's an opportunity to honor their love and commitment over the years and grief is a normal reaction to any kind of loss.

"When our heart is broken, it needs to be reset and we need to be able to work on it immediately, so it's not something that does not get taken care of," said Martin.

"I've had to either let this bring me down or me up and I've chose to let it bring me up," Little said. "And make me realize how precious time is and how short time is and the kind of mother I want to be and how I want them to remember me."

Learn more about Crossroads Hospice and dealing with the grief of losing a parent.