Mothers' Day Musings
posted Thursday, 11 May 2006
It's the strangest thing, but the moment I became a mother, the first thought that jumped into my head was: azaleas. Not my new baby; not the pain; not the fact that I would be responsible for the rest of my life for the safety, nurturing, and survival of another human being. Nope, I thought of azaleas. And my mother. Because for the previous 25 years, as a token of our affection, my sisters and I had collectively bestowed a lovely azalea upon our mom on Mothers' Day. Or some other type shrub. And on April 17, 1995, this disturbed me. How could we have been so callous? So uncreative? So . . . predictable? Where were the jewels? The chocolates? The poetry? The long-stem roses? Or at the very least cold, hard cash? Would this be my fate as well? To possess an overabundance of red flowering bushes at the end of my life. Would my legacy be merely an overgrown yard? When I mentioned these musings to her in 1995 she just smiled. In the years since my First Mothers’ Day Epiphany, I’ve made an attempt to be more creative, sensitive, unpredictable in my gift-giving. But I’ve realized something in my own experience as a mom; that it’s not the gift, but the heart of the giver. That the reason my mom just smiled was because she knew our gift to her wasn’t meant to convey the depths of our affection––because it can’t. Neither can jewels, chocolates, or cold hard cash. I think that my mom also smiled that day back in 1995 because for the first time, she felt truly understood as a mom, which may have been the best gift I could ever offer her. This Sunday I’ll think again of azaleas, as my own children present me with burnt toast in bed, homemade cards, and tissue paper flowers. And I’ll savor each one, knowing that they came from my children, my true gifts. I love you, Mom. Happy Mothers’ Day!
tags: mom flowers mothers celebrate azalea baby children parent mommy
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Jenn, I always look forward to the day when my daughters, in struggling
with their own kids, finally realize what it means to be a mom. I don't
need their thanks or kudos, I just want them to feel deep down how very
much I love them. They'll only know that by the way they love their own
kids. I'm sure you're right -- the best gift you've given your mom is to
truly understand her.
Happy Mother's Day!!!
