Mothers' Day... what powerful words, for some they bring to mind all that could have been as they mourn the loss of a beloved mother, no longer here with them on earth. For others it brings sadness of all that could have been but has been lost through rifts in family and other such things. For many of us we juggle these emotions all while trying to enjoy the Mother's Day we are being brought by our families.
For me, Mothers' Day, has always been bittersweet. The sweetness of being a Mum to our four wonderful children and yet the deep longing to be with my own Mum, many miles across the pond back there in England. Maybe you too as Mums have sailed this sea. Before I get into that let me give a shout out to my Mum. The best lady I know, who has always been there for me, cheering me on from the sidelines. Always available with a listening ear, and yet quick to give me a quick kick up the backside if I need one! I love my Mum dearly, and if you happen to see her today give her a quick hug from me.
Mothers' Day, as I mentioned, has always been a bit of an up and down for me. You see, as Mums we spend 365 days a year looking after our little ones. Somedays, when our children are young, we barely make it to the shower by the end of the day. Our days are filled with making sure our children's needs are met, all while dodging those Lego pieces deftly left just where our bare feet are sure to roam. We sit down at night to enjoy two minutes of quiet before vacuuming up cracker crumbs and scrubbing grape juice out of the carpet. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change any of it, especially now that we are out of the wee little one stage! However, the point I'm making here is, that for 365 days out of the year we really do take into account the other members of our family. Then comes Mothers' Day, and all of a sudden, the focus shifts, no longer are we trying to please 5 other people, it's all about us! It's at this point that I become a blumbering fool, I stumble over my words; get lost in a fog of uncertainty as I try to embrace all that that means. Me, what do I want to do? My mind goes blank, my body goes numb, indecision knocks at the door like the neighbor returning the ball that went over the fence for the umpteenth time. I must admit, at this point to being somewhat of a, trying to recover, people pleaser. I also think as Mum's we are wired to put the needs of our children first for a time in their lives where they are under our wings. So, the weight of responsibility to choose something that I myself would like to do, is still enveloped in the desire to do something on a special day that my whole family would love.
Today was probably one of the nicest Mothers' Days I have had. It started with breakfast in bed (I don't think that has ever happened)! Once I warded off the hungry glares of the three dogs, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The afternoon was spent at one of our favorite places here locally, Letchworth State Park. It was a wonderful afternoon. The best thing of all was our family together, in the lovely outdoors, chatting and having a laugh together. You see, I did choose something that the whole family would enjoy, but that in itself brought me joy.
I know, just like the Lego pieces left on the floor, the cracker crumbs on the couch, and the grape juice in the carpet, these days won't last forever. We raise our children to find their own wings and to one day fly. So maybe me becoming a blumbering fool over Mothers' Day isn't such a bad thing. I've learned to be ok with making the choice to mix my own desires with that of my family's to have a wonderful Mothers' Day, because in the end that's actually what makes me happy.
Mothers' Day. I hope whatever you find yourself doing today, whether it is with loved ones near or far, you know that you have been gifted an amazing blessing; that of being a Mum.
HAPPY MOTHERS' DAY from all of us here at Farm On The Hill.