if i'm honest, i can't really remember mother's day from my childhood. i mean, i remember that my mom always got a corsage, and always seemed to look extra pretty in church, and there was always a breakfast or brunch out (which was a pretty big deal). but i don't remember making mountains of gifts, or going out of my way to be extra special to my mom. so mom, if i didn't make your mother's days very special, i apologize. you deserve more thanks than anyone really knows how to give.
my mother's day started in my bed, when i opened my eyes at 6:30 am to see a very excited 5 year old perched like an expectant little bird, seated on her father's pillow (just above his head). she had her elbows on her knees, chin in her hands, and sweet blue eyes fixed on my puffy sleeping face. she was so excited. when she was satisfied with my level of awake alertness, she slowly unloaded an absolute mountain of art work and homemade cards and signs, and even a "necklace" she made for me (it is an 8x11 piece of paper with pipe cleaners attached so it can be worn around the neck. think dentist bib. that's my necklace). her joy was palpable, her thrill in the holiday was so real and unexpected it almost made me laugh. james got in on the joyful sharing of love and presents and kindness, too. he even wore a shirt with a collar and buttons on it with an minimal amount of resistance because, you know, it was mother's day.
here are a few of the cards, these two featuring pictures with messages of gratitude, created at preschool.
(for the record, we watched abi yo yo [featuring pete seeger] exactly one time after school pick up, but i guess that really stuck with her. and mermaid games? yeah, we play a ton of mermaid games.)
we had a slow start due to some mystery stomach illness i had (likely related in some way to the joys of motherhood--which child bestowed me with a virus?), but were able to enjoy a brunch, a visit to the children's museum, home and park time all together. it was an incredibly sweet day.
the boys at brunch, looking handsome as always
the girl side of the table
a happy mother and her sweet kiddos
and some photo shoot goofiness. james insisted on covering his face, and ramona is... i don't know.
and in the middle of the day, i joined my friend molly and lots of other women in madison at the barrymore theater to attend the 7th annual listen to your mother (LTYM) presentation. this is an hour long stage production featuring local women reading their short stories--some hilarious, some heart breaking--about being mothers, about being daughters, about the work of mothering. it is one of the greatest ways to step outside of your own mother's day bubble and connect with other mothers, hear the stories, remember the interconnectedness of us all, and remember that we are NOT alone. we are never alone. even on the hardest days. if you have a chance to get to a LTYM presentation on mother's day in the future (it started in madison but has grown to over 30 cities putting on their own productions with their own local storytellers!), you should. even if you are a non mom. even if you are a boy. you should go. it's great.
all the cards, the pictures, the gifts, the child-free adventure out to a spoken word celebration of motherhood with friends, all of these things make a great mother's day, but only because under it all is this guy who really believes in me. this guy who made me the mother of his children. who really celebrates the work of mothering, and understands it because he does the hard hard work of fathering. this guy who is my partner and my best friend, this guys who has given me my biggest reasons for getting up with joy and gratitude every single morning. david, thank you, for a good mother's day, for these wonderful kids, and for every day. i love you.
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