Mother's Day

Yesterday was Mother's Day and while my kids didn't think the gift they gave me was very good, I thought it was wonderful. You see, they were suppose to go shopping with their dad on Saturday to get a gift for Mother's Day, spend the night with him and come home Sunday morning. They ask if they could just spend the whole weekend with me and their dad agreed and said since they weren't going to stay with him, he wasn't taking them shopping. Mature for a 41 year old, eh? What he must not realize is that gifts aren't necessary for me to have a wonderful, blessed weekend. It's having my kids with me, spending time with them and enjoying their company that matters the most. So Saturday we took my friend's daughter shopping so she could buy her mom a birthday/Mother's day present and then we bought a new guinea pig for my youngest dd and later that evening we went to dinner together. We spent Sunday, Mother's Day, cleaning the house and doing laundry. Doesn't sound like fun and to a 7 and 9 year old, it's not fun. But that's what I wanted for Mother's Day...help with mundane chores. Oh, my kids help some anyway. But they really helped yesterday. They even bathed the dogs without my asking. At one point yesterday, I had a little pity party as neither girl told me Happy Mother's Day or anything and then I thought about not even having a card(except my 7 year old brought home a card from school and a little plant Friday) and I thought what mother cooks 3 meals, cleans and does laundry on Mother's Day. But you know, the pity party soon faded as I realized that I had the best gift of all, 2 healthy, beautiful girls and their unconditional love. I hate when I allow myself to forget that. I don't need "things" to feel loved and I'm not sure why that doubt or feeling creeped in yesterday but it left quickly and thank goodness it did.
I thought about children who don't have mothers to share that day with. I thought about mothers who are without their children on that day(or any day). I realized how lucky I truly am. Sometimes unspoken words and love have to be enough.
And though I am a day late, I hope every day is a happy day for all mothers. I hope my own mother feels loved by me all the time. I've made it a goal to be a better daughter. My mom has major health problems and is suffering daily now. I know I may not always have her with me to share laughs and tears with. So I treasure the time I do have and beg for just one more day with her. But life can change in the blink of an eye. Whether it's my mom, my kids or myself, anything can happen. So instead of pity parties about unspoken words, I want to remember that actions speak louder than words. And in that case, I am one loved girl, one loved mom and one loved friend. I hope my actions allow my mom, my daughters, my family and my friends to feel loved always.
Things I love about my Mom:
She's kind, loving and caring. She loves her family and tries so hard to take care of them. She's always there for me when I need her. I can call at 2:00 p.m. or 2:00 a.m. and she has a listening ear. She loves animals. She never wants to burden others with her problems. She can be feisty when she wants to be. She recognizes mistakes she's made and tries to not make them again. She's gone through many hard times in her life and still came out a survivor. My mom is LOVE.
Things I love about my oldest daughter:
She is sympathetic and empathetic. She can't stand to see anyone get their feelings hurt. She's kind and loving. She's a caregiver. She's a peacemaker. She's smart. She's funny. She's beautiful. She thinks her mom is the smartest person she's ever met! She has the biggest heart of any 9 year old I know. She knows how to be a friend to people of all ages. She's forgiving and understanding. She's a great big sister. She's a great daughter. My oldest daughter is LOVE.
Things I love about my youngest daughter:
She's energetic and silly. She's loving and kind. She loves animals. She's smart. She loves to make people laugh. She's beautiful and has the most beautiful blond curls. She's a follower but yet she stays true to herself. She dares to be different. She's patient. She loves her mom! She loves her family. She's a great daughter and a great little sister. She's very generous. She's artistic. She's genuinely sweet. My youngest daughter is LOVE.

I hope everyone feels as happy and blessed with their life as I do.