When Mother's Day isn't happy

Mother's Day is without a doubt an excellent opportunity to honor the women God has chosen to birth and nurture us. I find it less corporately exploited than other holidays and certainly subscribe to the tradition of bestowing a card and gift upon my particular progenitor. Yet, it has often occurred to me that Mother's Day is a landmark date of secret pain for many women. Perhaps the pain is from the loss of one's mother or from a strained relationship. It may be the pain of being childless or having lost a child. I appreciate Noel Piper's post on this subject, reminding us that God knows even our hidden sorrows and can use them for His glory.