In Celebration of Mom this Mother's Day

This will be the first Mother's Day that I won't have an easy opportunity to be with my mom. We moved from the Bay Area to Washington State about 7 months ago so by necessity, our visits are less frequent.

Mom is in her 80's and the older I get, the more blessed I feel to chat with her almost every day. But as Mother's Day draws near, this new distance between us has produced a strange sense of loss. A recognition that we're not as young as we used to be and opportunities for future visits will inevitably lessen. The chipper sales clerk robotically chanting, "Happy Mother's Day" for some, can actually produce sadness. As I've been scrolling through my Facebook feed this weekend, this sensitivity has been particularly apparent by all the photos of people with their moms and then every so often a photo that looks this:

So in an effort to pick myself up and share a special kind of Mother's Day gift for my mom, I've decided to dedicate this blog post to her by detailing some special memories.

Mom in high school

Mom last week 

 

1) As a child, Mom took me to out to lunch most Saturdays and then to our favorite local book store. This independent bookshop was located inside the old El Paseo de Saratoga shopping center which was one of the more picturesque shopping centers in Santa Clara County during my childhood. It had waterfalls, trees, park-benches, restaurants and art galleries. I still associate the joy of a crisp new book to read with those carefree afternoons with Mom poring over books. Whether she intended to or not, Mom channeled my love of shopping into a love of reading. I eventually owned every Nancy Drew book (and still do!)


2) Because my high school was across town from my home, Mom usually picked me up from school my Freshman and Sophomore years. She would often pick up some amazing pastry from a specialty supermarket near our house. I can still recall the delight at that pink box on the seat waiting for me. In retrospect, that was such a thoughtful gesture for a working mom to fit this into her schedule. Remember, this was before the convenience of Starbucks.

                                                                 

Is there anything that says "I love you" more to than a pink box containing something sweet?

3) When my husband and I decided to start a family we didn't conceive right away, so I considered fertility testing. One of the tests I was told, would be painful but I scheduled it anyway. The night before the procedure, I had so much anxiety about it which, coupled with the longing to be pregnant led me to call Mom. As if she had some special knowledge, she insisted I cancel that appointment because there was "nothing wrong" and we should consider other options. I so greatly wanted to believe her even though I had no logical reason to do so. So I found myself grasping hold of her faith and cancelling the appointment. We did explore other possibilities and I was pregnant shortly thereafter. I still marvel at the absurdity of her adamant position and my willful suppression of reason to accept it. But she was right. She just knew, as mothers so often do.

4) She used to prepare care packages for those she knew were struggling financially. This was not through a charity organization, she just saw the need and responded to it. She'd amass non-perishable food into boxes and we'd pack them in the trunk of her car. She would take me with her in the evening to deliver these food boxes and I got to experience first hand what selflessness looks like.

Only last year when I was packing for our move, she stopped by when I was bagging up clothes to donate. "Don't you give those away, I know a family who could use them." It was mildly frustrating because she'd be interrupting my progress but at the same time, endearing that she keeps track of people in need.

5) When I went back to work after being at home mom for several years, I struggled with the transition. I was going to school two nights a week, was working full time and still had a family to feed. She would come to my house and clean and do laundry. On my school nights she would have dinner prepared when my husband and I got home. She would do this all while she was working her own job. I don't know how I would have kept it together without her. I don't know that I ever will.


Even though I'm a mom, I will always equate Mother's Day with my mom. She is who I celebrate whether I get to see her or not. For those who can't call Mom this Mother's Day, I would encourage you to do something that would make your mother happy. After all, mothers are the very first people who selflessly and unconditionally love us. And that is worth celebrating.


Happy Mother's Day Mom.