A Different Kind of Mother's Day

Mother's Day was sad this year... Despite Aron's every effort, I could not get away from the fact that Mother's Day is supposed to be about your mom and my mom wasn't here! I tried to enjoy the gorgeous weather, but as the neighbor's waved and wished me a "happy Mother's Day," I had to choke back tears. I went shopping in hopes of getting a little retail therapy, but instead just reminisced silently about the last time I shopped with Mom and tried to remember every last detail. I treated myself to lunch at Panera Bread, but as I sat people watching all I saw were mothers and daughters sitting and laughing together. So, I retreated by throwing my lunch away and walking next door to Barnes and Noble where I found a newly released memoir written by a daughter who lost her mother to cancer. She was 35 and her mother, 55. I let the tears stream down my cheeks as I read our similar paths. Her parents were teachers. They spent their summers in a 2-room cabin, where she slept in the attic with her brother. This book now sits on my night stand, next to my framed pictures of Mom, and waiting for me to read each night before bed. The title is, The Long Goodbye. After purchasing this book, I headed for home determined to focus on the good and make every attempt to enjoy my Mother's Day. I announced to the kids that we were going for a walk to Dairy Queen and that I would be getting a Georgia Mud Fudge blizzard - Mom's favorite! As we ate our ice cream on this warm Mother's Day evening, I looked at my kids - both laughing, ice cream smeared across their lips - and I smiled. One day at a time, one day at a time...

Royal Oak Dairy Queen, April 2010. Mom enjoying her Georgia Mud Fudge blizzard!