32. What If Mother’s Day Is Painful for Me? With Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Maureen Wittels

Mother’s Day has great intentions behind it: taking a day out of the year to celebrate our moms and all the things they do for us. But for many people, for many reasons, that can be a painful proposition. Mother’s Day became extremely difficult for Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Maureen Wittels when Harris Wittels, Maureen’s son and Stephanie’s brother, died of a heroin overdose in 2015. In the years since, Stephanie and Maureen have learned to redefine this holiday so they can simultaneously honor Harris's life and celebrate their family as it exists today. They tell Claire the various ways they’ve gotten through Mother’s Day over the years and share advice for those in similar situations.

Resources from the show

• Read Stephanie’s memoir, “Everything Is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss”

• Read Claire’s memoir, “The Rules of Inheritance”

Do you have a question about grief or other ways you can take care of your mental health? Send Claire a question to be featured on an upcoming episode www.bit.ly/newdayask

Want to connect? Join the New Day Facebook Group! https://www.facebook.com/groups/newdaypod

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.

Did you try one of these weekly practices? We want to hear about it! Call 833-4-LEMONADA (833-453-6662) or email us newday@lemonadamedia.com.

To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/newday/ shortly after the air date.

Follow Claire on IG and FB @clairebidwellsmith or Twitter @clairebidwell and visit her website: www.clairebidwellsmith.com.

Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia.

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.