A little note about Mother’s Day

For many people, Mother’s Day is a day for buffet lunches or brunches, flowers to mom, heartwarming cards, breakfast in bed served by your kids, and all sorts of wonderful things.

But this is not true for everyone. For some people, Mother’s Day may be a reminder of the mom they have lost. For others, it may be a reminder of a child who is not there to celebrate. For still others, it is a reminder that the journey to becoming a mom cannot be taken for granted. It stands there, a day of springtime celebration, and for some people, it is a thorn without the rose.

In the past, when I’ve contemplated this side of Mother’s Day, it has made me sad, but I realize that this is not really the appropriate reaction. Instead, holidays like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, and the like are reminders that we take so much for granted. We can’t see the riches we have before us until those riches are only to be mourned. We can’t see the people we love until we miss them one Valentine’s Day. We don’t treasure our moms and dads, or the fact that we are moms and dads. We just assume it’s all the natural order of things.

But life owes us nothing.

So on this Mother’s Day, I will look at everything in my life that I take for granted. What if there was an Eyesight Day? A Hearing Day? A Walking Day? A Living Day?

What treasures in your life are you overlooking? Think about those this weekend, whether it is a happy weekend for you or a weekend tinged with sadness. Open your heart to appreciation for the things that so easily slip our minds. Give thanks to whatever power you believe in for those people who you just assume will always be around to brunch with.

Nothing is a given in life. Therefore, everything you are given is precious.

Enjoy the day tomorrow. Happy [early] Mother’s Day!

Image by Wong Mei Teng. http://www.sxc.hu/profile/MeiTeng

5 comments

  1. Wow. Very nice post Margie. I remember that first Mother’s Day without my Mom and how hard that was. Time does take the sharp edges off, and now I have my own small traditions that I do every year.

    Me and my son make blueberry pancakes and bacon. Everyone likes bacon 🙂

    I try not to take things (or people) for granted the way I once did. I sometimes like getting out of the apartment by myself and walking around town, looking at the flowers, seeing kids playing, or even getting a coffee at Starbucks!

    There is beauty everywhere, even in the worst of times. The big question is – Am I open to it?

    Thanks for reminding us that nothing should ever be taken for granted. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers out there!

    1. Thanks, Nancy. Sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. One of my great fortunes is that I still have mine. I appreciate her every day.

      It is important, is it not, to literally remember to smell the flowers? To notice how beautiful those little birds are outside your window? To recognize how darned tasty bacon is? 🙂 I’m always appreciating that one…at my own peril!

  2. Such a nice thought Margie. When I read this I thought of some of the songs John Denver with his haunting voice use to sing. “Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy” I think as you grow older you begin to take the time to “smell the roses” and take nothing for granted. As you experience the loss of a parent, child or sibling you begin to appreciate each and every day. You begin to look forward to each and everyday by choice to
    be happy or be sad. I choose to be happy.

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