Mother's Day: with or without?

Perfect Mother's Day last weekend. Completely off-plan: was going to be alone time for me, scoping out my favorite knitting store and getting rest while daddy spent the day with kidlets.

Daddy got horridly sick Saturday night. So instead I took Sprout to play basketball at local playground while daddy stayed home with Blossom (who was supposed to be napping but whose eyes Blinked Awake five minutes after I left). Then lovely nap with Blossom. BBQ dinner by the feeling-much-better daddy.

Made me wonder: how many of us really accomplish the self-time Mother's Day? How many of us really want to? It seems like a good idea, but whenever I've tried it, I just miss my kids and feel slightly unhinged and cheated. My favorite activity on this day turns out to be mindful, wondrous, observation of them: how did they get so big? why are they so amazingly beautiful? who are they turning out to be? how can I be ever more encouraging of who they are and more present to them?

And why does a gift made by your kid blow the top off your head? Is it the proud smile and completely transparent vulnerability of them offering up themselves for your approval and delight? What greater joy than accepting the gift with pure and also theatrically exaggerated expressions of gratitude! How wonderful, the giggles of collusion that they surprised you (despite telling you repeatedly what the surprise in the bag was, and what it was for). Ahh, it makes my ribs ache just thinking of it.