Confusion and sadness initially filled my first Mother’s Day without my Mom. Should I get flowers in her memory? Make a donation to the church in her name? I tried, in my small way, to celebrate the beautiful person that she was. However it was, of course, not the same. Since her departure from this world, I am constantly reminded that nothing is the same, and so, I create new traditions
and expectations. The heart of Mother’s Day is about honoring the person who carried you for so many months and continued to protect and nourish you well past birth. I don’t need flowers or cards to do this, I choose to honor her with my actions ever day. I honor her by being myself. I honor her with each smile that creeps to the corners of my mouth as her image pops in my head. I honor her by keeping her spirit alive. So, I have discovered that this day which could feel so lonely without my mother here to hug and share our favorite Mother’s Day cinnamon rolls, is anything but lonely. See, she is in everything I do. This is her gift to me, the lessons and laughter to last a lifetime. My gift to her is remembering and honoring who she was, and the person she helped me to become.