Day 134, May 12

Today is Mother's Day.  It is a day of varying emotions for many of us, whether we are thinking of our own mothers, of the mothers we are, of the mothers we want to be.

As a young mother, I resented Mother's Day.  It seemed a day fraught with guilt, unmet expectations, on our part and that of others.  For a few years, I actively boycotted Mother's Day.  I refused to go to church, to be handed a wilted plant that would undoubtedly die when I got it home and hear talks about the sanctity of motherhood.  Where was this supposed sanctity, I wondered, when confronted with a dirty house, dirty dishes, and dirty laundry? 

As an older and, I hope, a bit wiser mother and now grandmother, I have learned to appreciate Mother's Day more.  I remember my own mother.  She wasn't perfect, but she was there, for me, for my sister.  Just as I was not and am not perfect, I tried and try to be there for my children and grandchildren.  I think of my daughter and daughter-in-law, each trying to be good mothers to their children.  And maybe that's all we can do, to try to be good mothers, despite our own imperfections and shortcomings.

So, for today, I am grateful for Mother's Day, a recognition that we are trying, each in our own way, to be the best mothers we can be.