10 Things To Do On Mother’s Day When Your Mom Is Gone

InnovationHealthcare10 Things To Do On Mother’s Day When Your Mom Is GoneByBruce Y. Lee,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bruce Y. Lee, M.D., MBA, covers health, medicine, wellness and scienceFollow AuthorMay 10, 2026, 02:55pm EDTMay 10, 2026, 02:56pm EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Here's a photo of the author, Bruce Y. Lee, with his mother and brother. (Photo: Courtesy of Bruce Y. Lee)Bruce Y. LeeThere’s certainly no shortage of things to do with your mother present on Mother’s Day—including giving her presents. Many businesses have certainly made sure of that, offering all kinds of “deals” like meal specials, spa days, outdoor adventures and sporting events. You could even go to a Mother’s Day alpaca meet and greet or soap making workshop as long as your wallet is present too. But what do you do on this day when your mother is gone? On Mother’s Day, Balance Paying Tribute To Your Mom And Yourself That’s what I am faced with this year since my mom died last year. You may feel like you want to do something that offers the right balance of paying tribute to your mom, processing of the feelings associated with her loss, keeping you appropriately distracted and taking care of yourself. That is a lot to balance.It does make sense to honor her memory since your mother is responsible for so much of who you are beyond simply bringing you into this world. Plus, as I covered in Forbes previously, others may not be familiar with all that she offered—such as modeling grit for me when she had to overcome a lot of discrimination and unfair treatment. At the same time, you undoubtedly still have things to continue to process, no matter how long ago her death was. Life is inherently different without her. There may be things that you didn’t get a chance to tell her while she was alive. Plus, people and relationships can be very comp...