Every year Mother's Day comes around and I must admit it is a challenging holiday for me. I was raised in a very broken home, in fact almost all of my memories of my mother came from the years before I was six. After my parents divorce I had only a few brief visits with her and throughout most of my adult years, she has come and gone from my life. I was raised by many loving and kind women, including my grandmother, aunts, and cousins...and a few strangers too. I truly appreciate the influence these women have had in my life.
So, as Mother's Day comes I choose to reflect on the women who loved me and not the loss I feel from not having the kind of mom I had hoped for. Out of the many women who influenced my life, the one who has shaped me the most is my dear grandmother. So for me, Mother's Day isn't just for moms....it's for grandma's too.
For me my darling grandma was beautiful, graceful, intelligent and so talented. Much of the things I love to do came from her. She taught me to sew, embroider, write, love family history, make jam, bake, take care of animals, love birds,how to be silent in conflict...and when to speak, how to play the piano, velvet, and long walks in the woods.
She passed away a couple of years ago and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't thank heaven for her influence in my life. Now I am so grateful that my darling children have given me the gift of being a grandma. I used to dread the day I would officially be called "grandma" because I thought it meant I was old, but I was so wrong!
Being a mother and now grandmother has given me a chance to give to my children and grandchildren all the gifts that were given to me...and some that I missed. We play, cook, draw, paint, sing, giggle, give horsey-rides, take walks, and watch lots of princess and ninja-turtle movies. They bring us so much joy!
My oldest daughter Camilla, is a photographer in Washington. For Mother's Day she gave me the sweetest gift of these darling pictures she took out in our field with her three little darlings. We just melted over these pictures!!! It's a gift I will treasure forever.
I am thankful for the chance I had to be a mother and now to be a grandmother. I know there is no other "work" we do that is more important than what we do within our own families. As imperfect as we are some days, it is true. I cherish each day I get to love them...they are my little bit of heaven!!!
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