Mother’s Day Thoughts 2017

Mother’s Day Thoughts 2017.  My mother has been deceased for over thirty-five years. Last year I thought about my mother a great deal prior to Mother’s Day.  I felt the need to recognize her for the wonderful person that she was and the love and joy that she brought to so many.  My mother lived only three months after the birth of my first son.  Oh, how I miss having mother and daughter chats.  I miss not being able to go to her for those burning questions on motherhood.  I miss her for my sons who never had a chance to know her.  It’s not easy filling in the gaps for grandparents.

I promised myself that I would not get sentimental this year but it didn’t work. I lost one of my sisters this year.  It’s sad to know my niece will have to feel the pain of not having her mother this Mother’s Day.  Family and friends are there for you but no one will ever be able to replace your mother. Unfortunately, it won’t get easy any time soon.  Time helps soothe the pain but grief of losing your mother always stays with you.

Saturday before Mother’s Day I started thinking about motherhood.  Such an important responsibility to have.   I can’t believe how quickly my children have grown.  It seems just yesterday I was just anticipating the arrival of their birth, two boys, five years apart from the joy of my life.

I pulled out the stacks of Mother’s Day cards and read through them and they made my heart melt.  To see the changes in handwriting occur throughout the years catapulting them from babies into young men.  I couldn’t imagine life without being a mom.

Well, I couldn’t stop there, oh no, I had to pull out the baby books listing all the milestones they made during infancy.  And of course, there were the scrapbooks with all of the certificates, awards, the picture of outstanding achievements, report cards, progress reports, the student of the week, cub scouts, boy scouts photos and badges, individual, team photos and all of the other circumstances that contribute to life’s accomplishments.  You live life,  it has its joys and sorrows setting your life apart from others.  Then to think that it now boils down to mere memories.  I am so grateful to have those memories. Thank you!

It becomes treasured memories that I now hold near and dear to my heart.  A handmade mother’s day card is simply the best.  Or perhaps it’s a captured smile in a photograph or a family video in which time cannot erase, but put a smile on ones’ face in remembering the laughter and joy that was captured in that very space in time.

I know my mom is with me, I feel her presence with me each day.  I know she would be proud of how I have raised her grandsons I have her to thank for that. Motherhood is about honoring my mother, aunties and all the other mothers who have helped me to become the mother I ‘m today.