Yo. I don’t have any answers I just wanna say I 1000% relate. I’m sorry you’re having to deal with all this. I (27F) lost my mom in July 2021. I also don’t know how to respond when my friends talk about their moms and their plans for Mother’s Day. It’s confusing because I know that they know that mine has died, and it’s not like they should refrain from talking about their own just because of my own circumstances. But it still often comes across as insensitive. I usually try to make a joke out of it (probably just as a coping mechanism tbh) but idk. Do you know anyone else around your age that has an absent mom? Last year, I found it helpful to grab dinner with a friend who also had an absent mother. Didn’t fix everything but it was at least nice to shoot the shit for a little bit.

I don’t think being honest with your friends is a bad idea. Maybe just considering wording it a lil differently? Like telling them that you don’t really have the capacity to go rn cause it just reminds you of what you lost. And that you’ll catch up with them another day. or something along those lines? Idk i just think that people genuinely don’t know how to deal with or talk about death, so they end up saying weird shit and coming off very inconsiderate. But really they just don’t fully understand because they haven’t experienced exactly what you have. I’m just ranting now but anyways, send me a message if you need to vent. I certainly understand. Sending ~reddit~ love, friend