Mother’s Day has great intentions behind it: taking a day out of the year to celebrate our moms and all the things they do for us. But for many people, for many reasons, that can be a painful proposition. Mother’s Day became extremely difficult for Stephanie Wittels Wachs and Maureen Wittels when Harris Wittels, Maureen’s son and Stephanie’s brother, died of a heroin overdose in 2015. In the years since, Stephanie and Maureen have learned to redefine this holiday so they can simultaneously honor Harris's life and celebrate their family as it exists today. They tell Claire the various ways they’ve gotten through Mother’s Day over the years and share advice for those in similar situations.

 

Resources from the show

• Read Stephanie’s memoir, “Everything Is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss”

• Read Claire’s memoir, “The Rules of Inheritance” 

 

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