My Best Mother’s Day Gift

Today, I can’t help but reflect on the variety of experiences I have had over the years celebrating Mother’s Day.  I will never forget my first mother’s day.  My daughter Ashley was 7 months old.  I had this unspoken (and unrealistic) expectation that I would sleep in, wake up to breakfast in bed, and the rest of the day would be a “day off” from all of the motherly duties.  Hmm, where did I get that idea?

One of the best gifts I received, however, was from my own mother.  We had traditionally celebrated Mother’s Day by spending equal time with both sides of our families; both my mom and my mother-in-law.  Church, a meal, an afternoon activity… it was different every year.  After a couple of years as a new mom, my mom said to me, “I have had years of celebrating Mother’s Day with all of my children.  Now that you are a mother, it’s your turn. Send a card, make a call, but spend the day with your own family and celebrate your own motherhood.” The freedom that she gave me was a beautiful, unselfish, “motherly” gift.

From that point on, that’s exactly what we did.  As a family, we would spend the day at the Zoo, a park, a soccer tournament, or whatever else we wanted to do together as a family.  We would usually end the day with a quick visit or “stop by” on our way home at my mom’s and mother-in-law’s…but time with them was no longer the main event.

So now, my daughter is a mother and my sons have wives that are mothers.  It’s now my turn to pass on the gift that I was given.  They have called and sent beautiful cards and notes.  But time with me today will not be the main event.  They need to develop their own traditions of celebrating Mother’s Day with their own immediate families.

Releasing our children is one of the many roles of a mom.  I have been intentional about doing that and I will continue to as long as I can.  It has worked for me…