Happy (Fill In The Blank) Day

Like most children, I fabricated my own Mother's Day cards.
Pastel, cheap construction paper, crayons, bits of cut up paper doily, 
and a heartfelt and probably misspelled message to Mommy.

One of my Mother's Day cards passed into family legend.

Outside, the usual pastiche of hearts and flowers.

Inside, this message:

Dear Mommy,

Happy Mother's Day.

You won't have many more.

Love, Catherine

Neither I nor anyone else knows what I meant by this.

I'm pretty sure I didn't think my Mom was going to keel over

and check out anytime soon.  Kids.  Their brains are truly different.

**********************************

Luckily for me and my three siblings,

Mom had a good understanding of children and their wee odd brains.

She thought my card was hilarious.

Also luckily for us, we were able to celebrate Mother's Day

with her for many years to come; she passed away in January 2010, at 88.

Mom at Thanksgiving 2005, in our former house, with 6 of her granddaughters. 

 If Mom were still with us, she'd enjoy Mother's Day, 

but be slightly miffed that she had to share it with this guy: 

My Dad, at his 90th birthday party at That Old House.

(Cousins Alice and Alida used to squabble over PopPop when they were toddlers.

He loved it.)

May 12th is my Dad's birthday.  He'd be 93 today.  

But he followed Mom 13 months after she passed.

**********************************

We never stop missing them, do we?

Thank you, Mom, for being the best.

For, well, everything.

I am who I am because of you.

I can hear you now, saying, "I'm not taking responsibility for that!"

Happy Mother's Day, Mom.

Happy Birthday, Dad.

And as for me, a mother twice over, I got to sleep in this morning,

as Anne took the dogs out and gave them breakfast.

When I awoke and stumbled down the stairs,

my darling daughter had been busily tidying and cooking;

I had an outstanding avocado and feta omelette with a fruit salad for breakfast!

Plus she'd already given me a gorgeous orchid plant, and measuring cups shaped like owls!

Daughter Alida, in self-imposed exile in California, knows how I love chickens,
so in my name she sent baby chicks to Africa.

Ah, Mother's Day.  It's a beautiful thing.

Thanks, girls, for making me a Mommy.

Happy Mother's Day to all!
Because if you are not yourself a mother,
I'm pretty darned sure you had one. -- Cass

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