'There’s an aching emptiness in all the spaces mom used to fill in my life'

As she marks her first Mother’s Day without her beloved mother Finola, Erica Bracken writes about navigating grief

Erica Bracken and her mother Finola Halbert Bracken.

It is almost cliché to say that Irish mothers don’t like to draw attention to themselves. No need to cause a fuss on their birthday or Mother’s Day, and please don’t waste your money on Christmas presents — just as long as we’re together.

My mom, Finola Halbert Bracken, took this to the next level. She was so adamant that no needless fuss would be made on her birthday that she changed it —several times. Some years it was in December, others in February. We’d reach February only to be told we’d missed it.