Happy Mothers' Day! {2011}

My Mother's Day Bouquet of wildflowers picked for me by my children and displayed in vintage bud vase.

I want to wish all women a spectacular Mother's Day today! I hope someone is pampering you and helping you to feel loved after all the service you give in mothering those you love. I really like what Lara had to say about mothering and the way it applies to all women, whatever their life circumstance may be.

Last Mother's Day, I was still in childbirth recovery mode. I wrote the following post--a bit more personal and philosophical than I normally write, but I truly feel that the mothering part of our natures is divine and should be celebrated! I hope you don't mind me re-posting it here again today.

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Sunday, May 9, 2010

My mother and I, just a short time after baby Alec was born. She took such good care of my family! It was hard to let her go home. Thanks, Mom!

I can't think of another Mother's Day where I have felt more like a mother, than I do today. The memories of a beautiful delivery where the divinity of the role of motherhood was impressed upon me, are replaying in my mind. The fresh pain lingers as my body tries to adjust to having the baby outside of me, meeting his needs for nourishment and love, while trying to put itself back together. It reminds me of the awesome sacrifices mothers willingly perform for their children--not just in childbirth, but every day in caring for them. In the more painful moments, I wonder why I and so many millions of women are willing to go through some of these things. But then, I remember that we love best those whom we serve, and these sacrifices bind us to our children.

I hope you will forgive a more serious post today. I don't have great Mother's Day brunch ideas or last minute gift ideas to share with you today, but I do hope to share with you my firm belief that all of us who have accepted this call as mothers are doing a marvelous, divine, and difficult work. I hope whatever your circumstance, you feel that today and can celebrate the precious and sometimes painful privilege it is to be a mother.

Thank you to my own mother and mother-in-law for all they have sacrificed for us! And Happy Mother's Day to all wonderful women, everywhere!

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Back to the present. I want to let you know that you can celebrate Motherhood all month long over at the "I am More Than Just..." blog. And look for an appearance by yours truly toward the end of the month. There are some beautiful photos and challenges, there! You will be inspired!

If you look through my archives, you will see that this blog is a little light on Mother's Day gift ideas. (I've got Father's Day covered pretty nicely!) So if you gave or were given a particularly meaningful gift this Mother's Day, please leave a comment and let me know about it. I'm especially interested in gifts I can make with the children for their Grandmothers, that won't wind up in the recycling bin. Maybe it's so hard to find the right way to say "thank you" because Mothers never stop giving, so we are always indebted to them. At any rate, I am still looking for great ideas for next year and would love your input!

Again, Happy Mothers' Day! I hope you know how wonderful you really are!