Happy Mother's Day from the Club

As I was perusing the greeting card aisle at a local grocery store, I picked up many Mother’s Day cards.  I was trying to find the perfect card for my daughter.  This is her first Mother’s Day.  Most of the cards were appropriate for a child to give his/her mom.  I felt a bittersweet veil drape over my heart for a moment, as my mom is no longer living.I smiled reading the generic messages that one could say to a mom. 

“Thanks for putting up with me….” I remembered my mom’s patience when my adolescent moodiness put a pall over the house.“Words are never enough to thank you for all you do…..” I remembered the times my mom made me drink hot tea with lemon and honey in hopes it would make me feel better. It usually did.“You are my role model…..” I remember the bedtime stories I would tell my children. They were the same stories that put me to sleep so many years ago. “Pick a color….,” she would begin.“Thanks mom for the brightness you bring to the world.” I remember my mom’s last years, weakened in body but still delighted by a cloud filled sky.

I think of my mom every day. Sometimes I even reach for the phone thinking I should call her and just “check in.” Her excitement upon hearing my voice was palpable every time. She made me feel like I was the greatest person alive every day. I had a bit of reality check once I entered the real world. Why didn’t everyone feel that way?For those of us who have lost our moms, Mother’s Day can be tough, especially when the tears of loss have barely dried. There is a club of sorts for those who share the experience of life without a mom. We understand the unique void. There is after all, no one else like your mother.My mom used to have an etched stone by her bed with the quote, “In the quiet moments of the day, I think of you.” For me, and for many of you, I am sure there will be many quiet moments this Sunday. Indeed, our moms’ legacies rest between the beat of our hearts.“Sending lots of love and wishing you a very Happy Mother’s Day….” For all moms who are on the other side of life, this may be the best message. Despite the end of her worldly life, a mom never really leaves that soul place of prominence. From the club, wherever you are, Happy Mother’s Day Mom.