. . .  I’ve loved in my life, and to all those I love today, Happy Mother’s Day.

The world needs you all, in more ways than ever.  Moms, to me, are constant beacons of hope, comfort, safety and love.  Unconditional, unyielding, brave-beyond-words love.

Just what this old world needs right now, huh?

This time of the year always has me pondering memories of my mom and all the good, and not so good, times we shared.  She’s been gone for over 12 years now, and I still think of her every, single day. Sometimes, I’ll ask her a question about this aging thing or the state of our world, and I usually have a pretty good idea of how she’d answer me.  And when I hear myself utter a phrase or platitude that she said a hundred times, I’ll catch myself, chuckle a little, and wonder if she heard me and is sending down an “I told you so.”

No matter what was going on in my life, Mom was my biggest cheerleader, the strongest shoulder to lean on, and always the source of a good belly laugh. She left her mark on me and my siblings in a myriad of ways.  Was her advice always on point? Hardly.  Did she ever make mistakes? Lord, yes!  Was she ever pushed to the point of giving up on us? Many times, but she would’ve “followed us to the guillotine” before she ever turned her back on us (inside joke my siblings will understand).

Motherhood. What a job. All powerful, all knowing (in kids’ eyes), and ON every minute of every day, 24/7.  If you look in the dictionary (I know, I’m dating myself) or Google it, under the description of mother, the first word is unselfish.  At least, it should be.

I have to admit that I love to watch the interactions of mothers and their children (small and grown ones).  Not having children of my own, I’m always a little in awe, with a slight pang of yearning, of what it must be like, for the intimacy they share.

Through all the drama, the arguments, and ups and downs of a mother/child relationship, I believe the greatest gifts our mothers give us is to show us their humanness – their faults and their talents, their vulnerabilities and their strengths, their fears and their passions, and especially their “I-don’t-have-a-clue-and-I-am-seriously-over-my-head-right-now” moments.

They teach us everything.  Sometimes the wisdom they impart is intentional, but many times it’s a potent byproduct of their actions.  Right or wrong, good or bad, forward or back, they show us how to “be” in this world.

And even when they’re not the Hallmark-movie version of what a mother is “supposed” to be, so what.  The trail our mothers leave in our lives gives us a path to follow, or from which to retreat or deviate. Regardless, the impact on our lives is the same. Profound.

With age comes a little maturity (hopefully) and enough perspective to really, truly see and appreciate our mothers, in all their humanness.  So, to my beloved mother, and to all the beloved mothers and warrior moms in my life, I love you, and I thank you.

Till next time,

Judy