A Mother’s Day to Remember

I’ve had my fair share of horrible Mother’s Days. When your mom is no longer living, I guess that’s what happens. Right, wrong, or indifferent… Mother’s Day has always felt like a punch to the stomach. I typically make it a point to stay off social media that day to avoid seeing happy posts of women and their moms.

Since becoming a mom myself, I expected Mother’s Day to be this joyous occasion. Waking up in the morning to a happy, smiling child excited to say “Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy!” and showering you with flowers and breakfast in bed. Even typing that out now seems so delusional. Kids are unpredictable. Who knows what they are going to do at any given time. I expected this over-the-top holiday where I felt so appreciated and loved. And truthfully, I’ve had a few Mother’s Days over the years where I felt anything but appreciated. A day filled with meltdowns, yelling, and me hiding in a bathroom with tears in my eyes having a meltdown of my own. A day that left me feeling so incredibly alone, even though people were all around me. I think we all feel that way (I hope it’s not just me) on any given day… but on Mother’s Day it just hits a bit differently.

I write all that as a preface to what I’ll share next. Life is all about perspective. This past Mother’s Day though was one for the books that I never want to forget. I didn’t wake up in a quaint bed and breakfast in the mountains or spend the day at a 5-star Caribbean resort. But my child was happy and I got to see so many people who bring me such joy.

Mother’s Day weekend really started on Saturday when I put together a fun spa night for me and Vienna. We turned on Kidz Bop, wore eye and face masks, and danced around my bedroom. She’s very into wellness and self-care so we do these nights often. When she’s older, I hope these memories make her smile. 

On Sunday, I woke up to Vienna and my husband opening our bedroom door at around 6am. I’m a morning person, so I didn’t mind the early rise. Vienna came running over to me, my eyes barely open, saying “Happy Mudder’s Day!” I want to remember how she says the word “mother” for as long as I live. Before I could sit up to give her a hug, she plopped a gift bag on my stomach and told me to open it. The bag had a handmade card, a note to book a massage whenever I wanted, and a collection of my favorite pens, candy, and beauty items. It was such a simple, yet thoughtful gift. 

We enjoyed Panera bagels (including my favorite asiago), fruit, and coffee at home and laid around all morning and early afternoon. The weather wasn’t great, so any plans to spend the day outside couldn’t happen. Instead, we colored, played games, and watched Beauty and the Beast – the Emma Watson version.

Vienna also had her last week of running club, so we got to watch her do that and get her medal at the end. It was nice to be surrounded by so many other proud parents, especially moms. After running club, we went to our friends’ house for dinner. Their kids and Vienna are great friends, so they basically occupy each other. The night was filled with pizza, wine, and so much laughter. The kids were running around being crazy and loud, doing what kids do best.

You know when people say that you’ll miss the noise and chaos when your kids are grown? It was in that moment on Mother’s Day, when I could barely hear myself think, that I felt so insanely grateful. Grateful for the day I had, grateful for my family and friends, and especially grateful for my daughter who gave me the title of Mom in the first place.