Mother's Day 2015

There's an article circling the internet by Anne Lamot highlighting her seemingly radical position that Mother's Day wrongly celebrates mothers as superior beings. I think this sentiment rings to true with many people in different walks of life and I definitely agree with various aspects of the article.

For me Mother's Day often feels like one more thing to remember on the never-ending list of things to do. It's easy to take for granted all of the sacrifices, encouragement, and training my mother poured into me. So, why not make a conscious, deliberate effort one day a year to say thank you?

How grateful I am to be born to the hippie mom I got. I may not have appreciated these things as a child, but now, I'm exceedingly grateful for:
*the limits on my television consumption (1/2 hour of Mr. Rodgers only, maybe part of Sesame Street if dinner was taking a bit longer)
*how she taught me that almost anything can be made from scratch; sourdough, Rapunzel wigs, Valentine's cards, pasta, pancake syrup
*instilling the knowledge that people's feelings are important
Imparting to me the wisdom of:
*how a list can give peace of mind
*everything is better after a good night's sleep
*that children are important and gifts to be treasured
*creativity is something to be nurtured
*boredom is not an option
*there's always time to whip up cookies or brownies

Now I get to watch her be a grandmother and see my children enjoy her awesomeness.

When Aleks and I got married, I had no idea how deeply I would come to love and appreciate my mother in law. I'm constantly awed by her generosity, willingness to go all in, and her unwavering love and loyalty to her family. And obviously, she did an amazing job raising her children. I have her to thank for a sweet, thoughtful, feminist husband.

This is my 6th Mother's Day due to the munchkins who made me a mom. Being a parent has stretched and grown me into a better version of myself. It's been painful many times, but also so very rewarding and entertaining. If I can instill in my girls to be loving and kind to each other, themselves, and the people around them, I'll feel as if I've done my job.

And hopefully I haven't given them too much to talk about in therapy.

Happy Mother's Day mom.
Happy Mother's Day Danni.
Happy Mother's Day to all of you who have nurtured and loved another by giving selflessly of yourself.
I'll tell you what, it isn't for wimps!