Mother's Day 2020
As Mother's Day approaches, do you find yourself browsing the Hallmark section looking for the perfect card, one that captures your feelings? Does your mom fit the Hallmark template? Mine did not. She was not the sweet, warm-hearted, and gentle type. She was more driven, demanding, and stoic. Where are the cards that relate to that type of mother?
Being a mother is the most joy-filled and rewarding job there is. However, it is also the most intimidating and frustrating one. It is a job that doesn't offer retirement. You can't quit when you feel unappreciated, and you don't get a raise when you do well. Anyone can tell you the emotions that fill a mother's heart resemble the Indiana weather. She can be filled with sunshine one moment and brimming with thunder and lightning the next. No one can predict when a storm will hit.
There are no manuals handed out when a child is born. Even if there were such manuals, every child is unique. Some children are rambunctious, curious, and carefree, while others- are lackadaisical, shy, anxious, and depressed. To guide a child through life takes determination and guts. I guarantee there will be mistakes made, that's life. Mistakes aren't all bad; we learn from them. If you are a mother, don't beat yourself up or waste time with feelings of inadequacy when things go awry. Instead, recognize you are doing your best with the maturity level, experience, and resources you have.
Hallmark should have cards that say, "Mom, even though your advice may not seem appreciated, I know you give it in love." Or, "Mom, you are the best multi-tasker in the world; it doesn't go unnoticed." My daughter once gave me a card with a personal note that said, "Mom, if I were in a foxhole, you are the one person I would want to be there with me." Maybe this year, grab a card and include a thoughtful handwritten message. Tell your mom what she means to you. Because no matter how your mother chooses to show her love, you can be entirely sure of one thing -- she definitely does love you.
Diana says, "Life doesn't come with a manual; it comes with a mother-CHERISH HER."