Sunday is Mother's Day, and I am grateful to still have my mother with me. At 97, every single day is a gift, and I'm thankful for the opportunity to give back to her a little bit of what she has given me for 60 plus years.
But I have also been thinking about what it means to be a mother to my own children. Life is a complicated dance between competing obligations, and it can be very hard to decide which steps are most important at any given moment.
I am reminded of a funny, yet interesting, snapshot of that very dilemma which occurred a few years ago. We were with my daughter's family, and I was carrying my youngest grandson. There was a slick spot (it was oil, but I didn't realize it) and down we went. I think (hope) I protected my grandson from injury (he was scared but fine) on the way down, but in the end, I was down on the street and he was down on the lawn next to the street. My daughter was stuck in the indecision of the moment for a split second before she figured out which way to go. She then said, "That was a weird moment, having to choose between my child and my mom." Welcome to adulting, Sweet Thing!
I have thought about that a lot since that day. Life is full of choices, and we are all imperfect players in the game of life. Give grace where you can. Most moms are doing the best we can to cover every single person we love in the best way possible. (That includes step-moms, foster moms, and anyone else who is serving as a mom.)
This Mother's Day I will not see my kids (I almost never do.) Its okay. I don't need a day to know they love me and honor who I am. They do that every time they ask my opinion, listen to my advice, consult me, or just share their day on facetime or texting photos. They are living their best lives, each in their own way, and there is nothing that makes me happier or feel more successful as a mom.
This Mother's Day I will have one more precious opportunity to spend time with my own mom, who loves to be doted on and reminded how cherished she is. It is a unique and wonderful thing to still have my mom at my age, and she deserves every bit of time and attention I can give her after giving me so much of hers all these years.
Life is full of choices, and the best thing you can do is commit to what you think is right and then go full on to do that the best way you can. It looks different for everyone, but I hope your day is filled with delight at honoring, and being honored by, those who love us on every piece of the mother/child spectrum.
Choose the joy! Spread the love around! Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers and children celebrating today.
