Happy Mother's Day

I had been ordered back to bed by my daughters, insisting they were making me breakfast in bed even though I’d been up for an hour. I played along. I’d never had breakfast in bed on Mother’s Day before. I felt a lot like I’d stumbled into Downton Abbey. The only difference may have been my bedroom in no way gave the appearance of my having a cleaning staff.

Since the girls knew they’d need to finish final preparations for my “surprise,” they laid out my cell phone and iPad on the night stand so that I’d have plenty to entertain me while I waited. It was cute.

I had just opened Facebook when a tiny hand covered my eyes. I started to protest that I could just close them. Her fingers were freezing. But she would have none of it—she needed to make sure this was a complete surprise. Instead of fighting it I focused on the feel of a tiny hand that is getting bigger every day. The end of her palm rested next to the edge of my right eye and her fingertips came half way across my left. The hand was too small to cover both eyes. But I could hear a giggle escape as her sister came into the room. I tried to capture this moment and freeze it in my mind.

A tray was placed on my lap and Kati told me to open my eyes. Before me was a carefully arranged tray with far too much food but so much love. They’d worked hard on this. On the corner of the tray was my favorite part—four cards wishing me a Happy Mother’s Day had been created by the four not-so-little blessings in my life. Each one was signed with a personal note, some simple and some more elaborate. Lucy’s included two stick figures. She felt the need to tell me that the taller one was me and the shorter one was her. Kati’s included a sweet note I will cherish and keep to myself. The notes from the boys were short but so sweet. 

This is my first Mother’s Day without Kraig. This year is full of firsts like that. Kraig struggled sometimes to make holidays special. It wasn’t the way he was raised but he did try. This morning I felt blessed that the kids had made such a sweet effort. In a little while we’ll wake the boys up and open the gift they got me. My friend Chelsea helped Jarod purchase something they all agreed on yesterday. She wouldn’t let me pay for it. Bless her.

Our tradition for the past three years has been to go to Reptile Gardens on Mother’s Day and get summer passes at a discounted rate and get mine free. I’m not sure we’ll do that today. It’s going to be 42 degrees. But more than that, I’m trying to do some things differently as we walk our new reality. And starting the day off with breakfast in bed was a new tradition I could get used to--especially breakfast prepared with so much love.