The Best Gifts

It's Mother's Day, and I'm sitting at home all by myself. It's glorious. I didn't receive any sappy cards from the card store, just cute, homemade ones. I got a box of Godiva, a bunch of coupons, a pen with a silk rose on it Booie made, and Dunkin Donuts coffee. Can life be better? I think not.

My mom was almost always in a bad mood on Mother's Day. It depressed her that there was just that one day a year where she was recognized, and usually, we didn't honor and pamper her all day, because we were bratty kids. I used to absolutely dread Mother's Day, because I hated seeing her depressed. It got to the point where I tried my damnedest to make her happy, and it never worked. I'm happy to say she seems to have better Mother's Days. She only has my sister and dad at home now. Maybe my brother and I were just that awful and ungrateful.

I have made it a point not to let my feelings get the best of me on this day. I appreciate absolutely everything given to me and understand life goes on each and every day, whether that day carries a label or not. The kids aren't going to stop scrapping over who gets to open the game box or play with the baton because it's Mother's Day. That's the way it is with kids. When they are older, I'll probably be lucky to get anything at all. I look to this day to honor my own mother and grandmother as well as the in-law mother and grandmothers. I don't look at it as being about me. I look at it as being about them and about appreciating my own children, that I can be a mother to them.

I'm going to go make a fancy bow for my mother-in-law's gift now. I already made a hand-stamped and painted card. I wish I could be with my own mommy today. I hope she knows I don't need a day to remind me how special she is.