Today is Mother's Day and I am alone in Tennessee missing my kids terribly. Gone are the days when they jump on your bed screaming and hollering "Mommy, get up, we made you breakfast in bed". As the dog jumps on top of the bed and heads over to lick your face, the kids bring a tray over with coffee, eggs, and toast. So proud that they put it all together (well, with a little help from Daddy!).
Now it is my daughters turn to let her daughter do the same to her. Hopefully her husband brought Sofia up and let her jump on the bed and wake Mommy up.
I miss those days, but I know life must go on. My kids have lives of their own and we aren't living in the same state any more. My daughters are coming down on Memorial day weekend and we will celebrate then. Of course, they are coming because that is my gift to them for their 30th birthdays. Are they really 30? Lindsay was 30 last July and Heather will be 30 in December. Yes, life really does fly by.
I wanted to find a way to celebrate the day myself so I dragged my sacred box out with all the cards and trinkets that they have given me over the years. I don't go through the box often but today seemed like a good time to revisit it. I had myself a good cry, literally a good cry.
Here are some of my favorites that I pulled out of the box today:
When I was moving to Texas in 2005, Lindsay gave me a card that read: Happy Mother's Day, Mom, no matter where you go, or what you do, I'll always be there for you. On the inside she hand wrote "Ha ha ha, you can't get rid of me! I love you and even if you move across the world I'll always come see you!" This makes me cry every time I read it. It was hard for the kids when I moved and it took a lot for Lindsay to write that card and I appreciated that card more than she knew.
Then there is the birthday card from my son Matthew on my 40th where he signed it "Matthew Vickery", did he think I would forget his last name? I laugh every time I read that card.
My daughter Heather has a wonderful dry sarcastic sense of humor. She knows me so well. One of my favorite cards from her says "Have fun at your birthday party. Just don't run with that pointy hat, you could put an eye out.". Yes she knows what I have done to myself with pointy objects. Actually it doesn't even have to be pointy and I hurt myself!
I have packed the box back up and placed it in a special place. Someday I will sit down with the kids and let them go through the box, hopefully so we can share a tear and some laughs.
Happy Mother's Day to all.
