Mother’s Day

In the several years I’ve been a mom, I can’t remember a Mother’s Day I enjoyed more.  We spent the day together as a family.  First, we went to church.  J was selected to participate in a special Mother’s Day presentation on stage.  He had a large sign that said “I love my mom because…” on one side and his answer on the other.  His was long enough they had to pare it down.  His original answer was (he wrote this himself), “Mom is caring because she gets me what foods I want with my lunch.  Mom is helpful with chores like our dish chore and the laundry.  Sometimes Mom is strict with me, S, even Dad sometimes.  I love Mom all the way to Pluto and back to Earth!”

There’s a playground at church, so afterward we spent time with friends.  My husband and kids took me out for lunch.  The kids bought me gifts from the dollar store and got a couple treats themselves.  We went to the zoo and the park to feed the ducks, followed by another trip to the playground.  We made a nice dinner and enjoyed some family time around the tv.  Not our usual dinner routine, but very relaxing.  We capped off the day with family games and stories.

Many of my mom friends prefer to spend Mother’s Day being waited on by their husbands and children, or off doing something alone.  If that’s what relaxes you, then by all means, enjoy.  But that isn’t for me.  I want to spend these precious days with the kids.  Someday, they won’t be content with dollar store prizes and trips to the zoo.  They won’t want to spend the afternoon on the playground with mom and dad.  They may not relish the idea of family game night or reading together.  Instead, they will want cool clothes and gadgets and trips to the mall.  They’ll want to spend the day with their friends.  They will want to go to parties or they’ll need to study for school.  And one day, they won’t even be home at all.  So I’m going to cherish my time with my kids when we can be together as a family, before these magical days slip by.

Happy Mother’s Day.