Have Yourself a Mother's Day!

"Good morning Mom! Happy Mother's Day!" my son exclaims in his sweet little 3-year-old voice as he wakes me from my sound sleep.  I am greeted with a plate full of mostly burnt toast, a scrambled egg, and an Elmo cup of orange juice.  My son made me breakfast with the help of his dad.  Such a sweet start to my day.  He bounces onto my bed and hands me a card purchased at the store which reads "To my Mommy.  You are my #1" signed in scribble.  He gives me a big kiss and then quickly departs from my room to play with his toys.  That was about it.  Not sure he really knew the meaning of Mother's Day but he was sure to learn in the years to come.  Time to enjoy my day with what my husband has planned in my honor.

That was my last year waking up to breakfast in bed from my son with the help of his dad on Mother's Day- 5 years ago.  The following year, I spent Mother's Day weekend moving into an apartment separated from my now ex-husband.  The year after that I spent the day unpacking boxes again into the condo that I now live in.  Then in 2011, I finally decided that I was tired of the past 2 years of self-pity over the fact that I did not have anyone who came alongside my son to help him make me a card, make me breakfast, or shower me with extra love.  I decided that Mother's Day was going to be like any other day.  If you do not celebrate it, then  you don't feel that sting of what used to be, right? Wrong.  As the day crept closer and closer, I found myself depressed over the upcoming day and that I just didn't want that day to go unnoticed.  It seemed silly to require so much of simply another day of the calendar year but I just remembered that feeling of being so loved and I craved it. 

Well, Mother's Day 2011 came and I found myself waking up to my son already awake.  He was busy playing in his room quietly, or so I thought.  I took a deep sigh and started to get out of bed.  Before I could sit up, in he came bouncing and full of energy.  He plopped on my bed and asked, "Mommmmmmm, do you know what day today is?"  I said, "Yep I do, but what day do you think it is?"  He said, "It's Mother's Day!" and with that excitement he tossed an envelope to me and I quickly realized that he, himself had made me a card.  I could hardly control the tears as I opened the card that I still have to this day and it reads, "Hi Mom.  I'm glad you are my mom. I love you!" You can imagine that I realized in that moment, that God had heard the desires of my heart.  That through my son, he confirmed what Mother's Day was really about.  It's not about the flowers, candy, breakfast in bed, or even the fun outings.  Mother's Day is about confirmation that you make a difference; that you are loved. 

Hallmark has done a disservice to this day of remembering moms and has made it into so much of a show that when there is no one in the house to shower you with Mother's Day love it can be discouraging. I am here to remind you if you are missing that feeling for this day, that you remember that you are loved and that you make a difference.  This Mother's Day will be what you make of it.  Enjoy!