Celebrating Mommying

Yesterday was Mother's Day, and for you mommies reading this, I hope you were celebrated by your husband and children, I really do. I hope you were carded and gifted and brunched and lunched. Perhaps you were scented and flowered, or maybe even pearled and silvered. I'll happily say I was-- with a rose destined to sweeten many summers, with other flowers and bath goodies, with the precious heart-thoughts of my boys in crayon and marker and construction paper glory. With my favorite chocolate with toffee from my sweetie. It was a happy day.

But mommies, I want to celebrate you TODAY. Back in the trenches, diving off the high dive, climbing on the treadmill and embracing this May Monday.

I celebrate the breakfasts you made and the socks you found. I celebrate the homework you checked and tucked into backpacks and the urgent discussion you had about what your little one should be NEXT Halloween.

I celebrate when you felt impatient and held your voice steady anyway and smiled anyway. I celebrate when you lost it and then came back to say "I'm sorry."

I celebrate the boo-boos you kissed and the fairy dust you sprinkled and the armies you defeated, all before nine AM.

I celebrate you, reading the favorite book for the 99th time and remembering to use all the voices.

I celebrate the sheet you laid over the dining table and the sandwiches you served in the fort, or the teddy bear you dressed in silk for the tea party.

I celebrate blowing bubbles and poster paint and rings in the bathtub, popsicles dripping down knobby wrists and one more question, "Why?"

I celebrate cooking dinner and quizzing on spelling and explaining the life cycle of butterflies all at once.

I celebrate toys on the floor and happy faces at the table.

I celebrate the lullabies and the one more stories, the tiptoe out and only the energy left to say, "Thank you."

I celebrate these everydays, the threads of what we do, and I take them up again.