I was walking the dogs early this Mother’s Day morning, thinking about my mother and her mother and my children and their children. And counting my blessings. I am one lucky mother and I have been lucky all my life – I am blessed.
An unusual sensation washed over me as I admitted my lucky-ness to myself, it was a moment of odd clarity. Lucky-ness doesn’t mean never loosing or not being broken, it doesn’t mean you’ve dodged grief or sadness – what I realized is lucky-ness is a point of view. I realized that over my life I have been lucky beyond belief.
My mother passed away when I was thirty-six years old, I had three children under the age of ten. This was not a lucky development in my life, I was devastated and at a loss for support and guidance – or so I thought. Where there is actually no replacement for the influence of a mother there is good council out there if you’re lucky and willing to look. I looked.
This Mother’s Day I want to acknowledge the women in my life who stepped up and forward to support me. Not just back then and through the kids’ turbulent teenage years when mothering was a sketchy proposition, but through the years since when life has taken precarious turns. I have been lucky beyond measure to have special aunts and awesome friends, sisters and daughters and cousins, who have helped me navigate uncharted waters. This Mother’s Day I want to thank all the mothering souls in my life (I think you know who you are) and send them love and undying appreciation for being there for me. You are a big part of the lucky-ness I am grateful for.
Happy Mother’s Day.