I love Mother’s Day. It’s a springtime holiday so the weather is usually nice. The day often involves brunch — and who doesn’t love a good brunch? When the kids were little we usually celebrated Mother’s Day at a ball field – softball or baseball — either at tournament or a practice — or both. I never minded because I loved watching my kids play sports. The other moms on the teams were my friends. The weather was usually fantastic – the last of the lovely days before the Houston summer came roaring in like a fire ball. 

Russell has always struggled with the month May because not only does he have to deal with Mother’s Day, but our anniversary and my birthday also fall in May. When I was much younger, he was right to fear. I was a little brat. As I age I have mellowed – seeing my family is enough for me these days. 

Since my kids have become adults, my sweet daughter, Katie, and my son-in-law, Patrick, usually wrangle my sons, Will and David, into doing something to celebrate the day. She assigns them tasks and they show up – mostly on time. The youngest, David, usually brings me flowers, but Will brings various things. This year it was my favorite brand of prosecco for mimosas. (Smart man!) 

Last year we did not celebrate Mother’s Day together because Russell and I were in Oak Harbor, Washington with David for his fiancé Rebecca’s funeral. It was a terrible day, but we were there with David to support him. Being a mom is the most rewarding aspect of my life, but it can also be the hardest. All of my children have  had to endure pain for different reasons at different stages of life – some too personal to share in a blog. Watching them go through it and not being able to do anything more than stand by them, just being there, is the most helpless feeling. 

While time does not heal all wounds, time does ease grief. This year we celebrated Mother’s Day again together at my daughter’s house. Our sweet little granddaughter, Vivienne, looked as pretty as a picture. My daughter provided brunch. Katie, Patrick and Vivienne gave me a plant in the most adorable pot. David brought me flowers, Will brought all the fixings for the mimosas. We sat outside taking turns trying to ride David’s motorized skateboard and watched Will fly a drone and video us from above. We enjoyed the sun and each other. We took a moment in time to celebrate our family. We remembered family members no longer with us with funny stories and laughed at the things Rebecca would have said. It was a lovely day.

My heart is full and I didn’t even have to do the dishes.