May Day and Mother's Day

 May Day to Mother’s Day: A Journey Back to You
By Jaime Williams
 
As May begins, we’re greeted with the gentle energy of May Day—a celebration of renewal, fertility, and the blooming beauty of spring. Just a couple of weeks later, we arrive at Mother’s Day, a holiday honoring nurturers of all kinds.
 
Between these two bookends of May lies a powerful opportunity: a reminder to honor growth, both around us and within us.
 
Whether you’re a mother, have a mother, or are mothering a dream, a body, or a new season of life, this time of year invites you to reflect on how you’re showing up for yourself.
 
From Bloom to Root
 
The energy of May Day reminds us to celebrate life, movement, and growth. It’s a time to get outside, feel the soil in our hands, and witness the earth return to life.
 
Gardening, walking, digging, planting—it’s not just good for the body, it’s grounding for the soul. When we root ourselves in nature, we naturally regulate our nervous systems. Stress softens—clarity returns.
 
The Mothering We All Need
 
Mother’s Day often stirs up emotions—joy, grief, love, and everything in between. But it’s also a chance to reflect on how we mother ourselves.
 
Are you offering yourself compassion?
Are you tending to your needs the way you would for someone you love?
Are you listening to your body when it whispers before it has to scream?
 
This season, I’ve been diving into two influential books that speak to this:
Rushing Woman’s Syndrome by Dr. Libby Weaver explores what happens when we’re always “on”—trying to be everything for everyone. It’s a wake-up call for women who live in stress and survival mode.
The Stress Paradox by Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist offers a hopeful lens, showing how we can use certain kinds of stress to become stronger, more resilient, and even happier.
 
The common thread? We can’t keep pouring from an empty cup.
 
A May Invitation
 
Between May Day and Mother’s Day, I invite you to:
Slow down. Even just for a few minutes a day.
Breathe deeply. Try 4-7-8 breathing: Inhale for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8.
Get outside. Nature is medicine—free, accessible, and always available.
Honor your needs. Not later. Not someday. Now.
 
You’re Worth It
 
You don’t need a special reason to rest. You don’t need permission to care for yourself. And you don’t need to wait until burnout hits to ask for help.
 
This May, celebrate your blooming. Reconnect with your roots. And remember—you’re not just growing life around you, you are nurturing life within you.
 
With warmth and wildflowers,
Jaime Williams
Health Coach, Wellness Guide, Forever Growing