Mother's Day 2011

I know plenty of women who don't love Mother's Day.  I can totally understand, but it really makes me sad.  Personally, I adore Mother's Day.  I love sleeping in, laying in bed as much as I want, taking the day off, not cooking or cleaning, not putting the kids to bed, receiving handmade cards from the boys, getting an amazing truffle in church, getting hugs and kisses all day long, getting compliments and pampering from G, bragging about how awesome my boys are, thinking about the two wonderful women who gave me the blessing of motherhood, thinking about the incredible women in my life including my own mother, my mother-in-law, my sister, my sisters-in-law, my friends, my friends who are infertile but would/and will make the best mothers in the world.  In fact, I think it's safe to say it's my favorite day of the whole year. 

This year was particularly interesting because Buddy and I have been on the rocks lately.  Things have been brutal between me and him for a few months now and a few times this week he's pushed my patience to the absolute brink (and beyond, but who's measuring).  He came down with some mysterious abdominal pain on Friday and spent the next three days (including Mother's Day) calm and pleasant.  It was nothing short of a blessing.  Pure ecstasy.  A gift.  I love that boy every day.  But oh how I love him when he's calm.  We spent a ton of time together this weekend playing games, doing science projects, reading together, and chatting about small and big things.  Saturday night I laid in bed with him for two hours past his bedtime.  He just laid and talked to me.  He didn't wiggle, he didn't argue, he didn't talk loud.  Happy Mother's Day to me...

And then Sunday got even better.  I watched part of The View on Friday and they were talking about how a lot of women hate Mother's Day because they have experienced a loss that makes the day difficult.  Then they mentioned how cool it would be if those women that are feeling down about the holiday could look outside themselves and give help to a single mom or mother with a deployed husband.  I know that's probably not easy advice to hear when you are feeling a loss, but as someone who has spent a few Mother's Days wishing to be a mother, I thought about what a blessing I could have been to someone who could have used a real break from her responsibilities on that day.  Makes sense, doesn't it?  I want to mother... and people deserve a break from mothering.  A perfect combo that benefits everyone.

I had been thinking all weekend how I could help a mother that needed a break (and still give myself the break I was anticipating).  And that's when G really outdid himself by giving me a great day.  After church he invited my two closest friends and their kids over to our house.  He threw together a brief FHE on priesthood blessings, then he and a friend gave my dear friend and her kids beautiful blessings of comfort, as they are going through a really hard time.  She's got a lot on her plate as a mother, and it was the least we could do to support her.  I am so proud and thankful that G honors womanhood, and supports me and my friends in the ups and downs of our responsibilities.  It honestly was the best gift he could have given me.  The best part, though, is after the blessings we threw together an impromptu potluck, with everyone returning quickly to their homes to bring over the food they had in crockpots at home.  Later G did all the dishes and finished the night giving me a blessing.  Talk about a perfect day.

I think we've started a new tradition of looking for ways to honor and support the women in our lives who need Mother's Day most. 

Oh, and the other tradition I'm starting next year is taking a current picture of me with the kids, since the most recent picture I have with both the boys was taken 14 months ago (see above).