Mother

The day started off not with breakfast in bed, but with my bulldozer of a 4 year old climbing on top of me at 6am. I made my own breakfast later and ate at the counter between prepping the barbecue ribs and chopping up sweet potatoes for the big Mother's Day dinner. A 10am trip to Publix brought home flowers and cards from the kids, which they very proudly watched me open so they could point out their particular artsy drawings of hearts and their names. I loved their strong little hugs & kisses.

During the day, I marked a couple of items off of my mental To-Do list, like trimming the cypress trees in the backyard so they don't attack me every week when I cut the grass and writing up the annual Wenzel letter to put in the Christmas cards I had addressed & stuffed with pictures at the beginning of December (finally mailed them out today...who doesn't like getting Christmas cards in May?!). I thought about how nice a massage would be and maybe a pedicure, since it has been months for the former & years for the latter, but realized most places would be booked and I'd just have to make an appointment for another time.

My Mom and Grandma came over for dinner and Todd's Mom was in town from Minnesota for the weekend. While I was setting the table and turning the ribs, I got to listen to my Mom tickle the ever-loving snot out of my kids, which sent them into fits of giggles that drifted downstairs. God, how I love listening to them giggle and giggle till they can't breathe! Todd's sister was kind enough to clean up ALL the dishes and the kitchen counters after dinner, which was much appreciated.

As we sat around the table, I thought about how our mothers and grandmothers have impacted my life and how I am in turn shaping the lives of my children. My Grandma is 90 years old and for the last 33, she has been a source of unconditional love in my life. She has seen alot in these nine decades and is always smiling or laughing. Todd's Mom helped him grow into a compassionate and fair man, qualities which I admire and sometimes draw on when I'm lacking.

But mostly, I thought about how my Mom has shaped and changed my life. Without her, I surely would never have cultivated such a strong love for reading and learning. And for crafts, she was ALWAYS helping me start new art projects that my little fingers could handle as a child and advancing as I grew. From painting, to needlepoint, to crocheting, to quilting, to building shelves to believing in me beyond any realistic realm, I grew up believing in myself that there really wasn't anything I couldn't do if I put my mind to it. I have very little self doubt in my abilities and know I can teach myself how to do something new if I can't find a teacher. I only hope I can instill the same belief in my children as they grow up.

At the end of the day, I realized that Mother's Day for some is about being pampered and given a break from the daily routine of caring for everyone else (I won't lie, I would have liked it if that had been my day, too), but that wasn't my day. Instead, I think what I found was a deeper appreciation of my Mom and the other mothers in my life who have helped me become who I am, who shaped my husband and who put love and laughter into my own children's lives. And for that introspection, I don't think I should be disappointed in the day.

That. Was. Priceless.