Grief, Longing, and Hope on Mother’s Day

Hugo Balta

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In our special issue of Pero Make It Newsy, we open up about our relationships with our moms and take a look at the bonds between mothers and daughters. This will be Nikki’s fourth Mother’s Day without her mom, and she’s still coming to grips with her incredible loss. Maria Elena, meanwhile, expresses her admiration for her mom, who is living with MS. 


Nikki’s mother on one of their many mother-daughter dates.

“My momma was a breath of fresh air, a ray of light on a cloudy day. She was, simply put, the sweetest woman on Earth. My momma was caring and nurturing (even if she did think I was too clingy). She also had a wicked sense of humor and knew exactly what to say to make me feel better. Most of all, my momma was my best friend and I miss her terribly,” Nikki wrote. 

It’s been nearly three and a half years since she lost her mama to cancer. Though she’s learned to live with her loss, it hasn’t been easy. 

Maria Elena with her Mamá

In Maria Elena’s latest personal essay, she writes about how much she looks up to her mother long after she was diagnosed with MS. 

“My parents did a really great job at hiding my mother’s multiple sclerosis (MS) diagnosis. It wasn’t until I turned 13 years old that I became completely aware of what she was going through. But even when I hit my angsty teen years, I always thought of her as this really cool mom,” Maria Elena wrote. 

This Mother’s Day issue by your favorite Latina newsletter curators also highlights important, and often-times ignored, issues relating to motherhood. Many companies are now allowing customers to opt-out of Mother’s Day messages, which can be incredibly hurtful to those who have lost their moms, have strained relationships with them, or are having difficulties conceiving. We also share an immensely impactful personal essay by feminist writer Jessica Valenti. 

Readers can check out this weekend’s special issue at Pero Make It Newsy. As always, be sure to sign up to receive new articles and a fresh newsletter every Wednesday! 


Publisher’s Note: MALN and Pero Make It Newsy are partners in best serving the Hispanic, Latino, Latinx community of Massachusetts.