All I want for Mother's Day

One more day in NOLA town
and then I hit the ground running:

Wednesday is radio with Regina Brett Wed, 7-8 p.m..

(I am honored to be on this show, talking about the status of motherhood with Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist, Regina Brett http://www.reginabrett.com/; historian and author Regina Jo Plant http://www.amazon.com/Mom-Transformation-Motherhood-Modern-America/dp/0226670201; also motherhood blogger, Tesa Nicolant http://www.2wired2tired.com/. Please tune into WKSU 89.7 http://www.wksu.org/listen/on your dial. Thank you for asking me on your show, Regina!)
 

Thursday and Friday, I will prepare for Saturday, for my firstborn child's graduation, for a party with his friends and the adult friends, neighbors and teachers who have supported him for 22 years. This is a big day. This is my child, of whom I am proud.
I adore this person with all my heart.

Then, well, then it's a day for me, as Sunday is Mother's Day.

I make no bones about the value of this day for me: If my children are the sun and I am their moon, then we must indeed hold in reverence at least one day celebrating that relationship.

My children know by now what I want on this day -- which is not to be taken to lunch and showered with gifts.         
  
                                                                                                            ~~~

They do give me flowers. My husband always finds something for the garden to give to me.

But it is the homemade cards that I cherish and adore, that my children still make for me, even though they are now 22, 18, 14.

It is their sentiment I crave.

And their time.


I no longer have to ask.

Sometimes we garden. One year we painted lawn furniture.

 Doesn't really matter though.

On Mother's Day, we are, all of us, together.

All day long.

~~~