The following post is written by Steady Mom's monthly contributor, Catherine.
I never truly understood Mother's Day until I became a mom.
Sure, I always sent a card to my mom and I often got to see her on Mother's Day. I knew the special day was in May--but so is my birthday and graduations, the start of summer vacations and better weather.
Growing up, we had a tradition when celebrating Mother's Day: my mom could pick anything she wanted to do and we would do it (no complaints or comments allowed).We went on hikes, bike rides, and nature
walks. When I was younger I loved making her special gifts, like my hand-print on a plate. It made her day, although
she would still insist on an outing together, just the four of us.
As we got older, daily life was often
split between activities, studies, and sports. Family time was hard to
come by. Occasionally Mom would call for a "family only
day."
That meant we couldn't have any commitments, parties, or sporting events. We would just spend time together. I complained about these days, but I also remember how great it felt to slow down with my parents and my brother.
As young adults on
Mother's Day we would gather at Mom's house for lunch or dinner. We would
bring our friends if they were not celebrating with their own mothers; my mom thought "the more the merrier."
I remember one year she cooked lunch
for us (on her day) and I was cleaning up. I encouraged her to
sit down and relax.
She insisted on being right in the middle of the mix - cleaning and chatting with my brother and me. I told her it didn't seem like a special day if she did all the work.
Then she said something I will never forget.
"You kids are my life; you are my blessing. I am so
grateful that you are healthy, happy and thriving adults. I don't want a
break--my happiness comes from spending time with you.
Time goes by so fast and you never know how long I will be around to take care of you. So let me do it. It brings me joy. It is the perfect Mother's Day for me."
That was six years ago.
I will always remember that Mother's Day for it was the last one I had
with her.
She was right--you never know how long you will be allowed
to take care of your children. It is a privilege.
On days when I
crave a break I think of my mom and how her time was cut short.
We don't have to wait until Mother's Day to celebrate and be together as a
family.
The month of May brings me a rush of memories each year, but most importantly
it brings perspective about what the perfect Mother's Day really is--being here, now, in this moment with our children.
**What does the perfect Mother's Day look like to you?**
If you enjoyed
this post, I hope you'll subscribe
to Steady Mom--it's free!
