Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all of the wonderful moms out there. 

Sometimes during a rare quiet moment, I reflect on what my kids will think of me in twenty or thirty years.  Will they remember me as fun or strict or crabby or nice?  When I think back to my own childhood, it is shocking how little I remember.   Certain memories stick out here and there but my whole childhood is pretty much a blur.   I try to remember that as I raise my own kids.  What seems so important right this second will be just a momentary blip in their lives.   What I am creating, I think, is an over-all feeling.  Will they grow up feeling secure and loved and happy?  I'm fairly certain that they will.

Although I don't remember every little detail, I am certain that I had a childhood that I would want my kids to have.  Now that I know the day to day and minute to minute work that goes into raising children, of course I appreciate my  own mom so much more.  I think it is a testament to her that I don't really remember much.  I think people that had very vivid childhood memories usually remember it for what it was lacking or for some particular trauma.

I think so much that a mom does goes unnoticed unless it is not done.  Like you don't notice that someone had picked up the toys or clipped their child's nails until the day comes that they don't do it. 

So I apologize Mom that I never thanked you for all of the things you did for us, because you never stopped doing them!  A belated thanks for the gajillion: meals you cooked, snacks you made, lunches you packed, juice cups you filled, tables you set, dishes you washed, pots you scrubbed, trips to the grocery store, drug store, clothing store, shoe store, loads of laundry you washed, dried, folded and put away, loads of garbage you took out, baths you gave, nails you clipped, hair you combed, toys you stooped over to pick up, stories you read, carpools you drove, boo-boos you kissed, gifts you wrapped, beds you made, interrupted nights of sleep, times you wiped my nose or my tush or cleaned up my puke.  

There are a million and one other things that I could thank you for doing.  Thank you for making our childhood a well-oiled machine that never stopped running.  You are the best!