Mother's Day

Well, another Mother's Day is coming up soon.  It used to be a holiday to which I paid very little attention.  For years, I would pick up the phone and tell my mom "Happy Mother's Day" on the big day.  Some years, I would actually buy her a present or send her a card.  We were not big on celebrating these little holidays.  I think I always spoke to her on Mother's Day but we usually lived far apart and there was no stopping by to bring her a small gift or a smile on that day.  I guess I wasn't always such a good daughter.  My life was busy, I had kids and a job of my own, and it was just another day, right?  At least I thought so.  Of course, I always thought that my mom would be around forever.  And, if not forever, at least for a very long time.  But I was wrong.

Now, Mother's Day has a different effect on me.  I don't have anyone that I can say "Happy Mother's Day" to.  I can't give her a call and chat about what is going on in our lives.  I can't send her a small gift to let her know how much she means to me.  I can't even send her a card.  She has been gone for a long time, 20 years.  How can it be possible that I've lived for 20 years without hearing her voice or seeing her smile?

Now, Mother's Day is a day like any other for me.   I always get a call from my kids and their families,  and it's great to hear from them.  But mostly  I spend the day missing my mother, who by the way, was the most irritating person I've ever known.  She was also the smartest, silliest and most loving person I've known.  She was as far from the perfect mother as I was from the perfect daughter.  However, we managed to muddle through.

I don't just miss my mom on Mother's Day.  I miss her every day and still, even after 20 years, when something good or bad happens to me, I always think I'll pick up the phone and speak to her.  She always knew exactly what to say to me.  But I always miss her more on Mother's Day, a day we all set aside to show our mother's how much we appreciate everything they cheerfully do for us.

So, if you're able to this Mother's Day, share the day with your mother.  Tell her what she means to you and make some memories to sustain you through the long years you'll be apart.