If you are a mother and you like celebrating that fact on this day, then have a wonderful and happy Mother's Day! I am learning, however, that this is a big "if." I am surprised how many women do not want their motherhood honored and would rather steer clear of this holiday. Yes, I know that there are plenty who have an uncomfortable relationship with their own mothers (oh, I surely understand how difficult that can be!), and I know there are those who don't want to be mothers, or wish they could be moms but the stars are not aligned for them and they suffer when reminded of this on a yearly basis, and of course there are those who lost mothers and they miss that relationship profoundly and this whole celebrating thing now makes them sad. I get all that. But there is also a sizable group out there that simply does not like celebrating what they like to call a Hallmark holiday. Who see themselves as somehow beyond the triviality of handing out cards and flowers, or receiving gifts on this day. I read an article by one such mom yesterday in the NYTimes and the comments that followed. People have opinions on this! Mostly scoffing at Mother's Day celebrations.
Chacun a son gout.
Myself, I like this holiday. And I like that it comes right after my birthday, so that this whole month feels rather joyous. And well it should be -- it's so pretty out there now!
(morning walk)
But my feelings about this day demand little from the outside world, including from my daughters. Yes, there are small gifts, and I like that because gift giving is not an Ed thing so this becomes the rare moment where I do get to open a nicely wrapped package -- a pleasure in its own right. Otherwise, the joy I feel on this day is sort of personal: I am a mom, I'm proud of my daughters. I am happy to watch them thrive and have fulfilling lives. And today I carry that joy openly, on my sleeve so to speak. That's it.
Oh, and in furtherance of a celebratory mood, I will plant a couple of flowers. What? You're telling me I would do that anyway? True, but today I do it feeling mother-happiness!
Breakfast first though. With more lilies of the valley.
And Ed.
I work for a short while on those flowers, but I have to quit before noon, because today Snowdrop has her second and final performance with the Young Shakespeare Players and I promised I would attend. Seventeen (!) notable scenes from his plays, with the theme of villains and fools.
(Sparrow and mom are there as well; look who got new glasses this week!)
(she just finished playing Horatio from Hamlet)
(someone took my camera for this...)
And because the performance lasts a solid three hours, we nix Sunday dinner at the farmhouse. I miss having them here, but honestly, it would have been a rush to get things ready and then to tidy up and you know my latest take on rushing: avoid it at all costs!
Instead, I (mostly) finish up the front roadside bed. Spreading wood chips and then watering the whole thing. Last year I did (mostly) nothing here. There was a drought, the soil deteriorated, the weeds grew. This year, I rolled up my sleeves and got to it. Well, no sleeves today -- it was a very warm, sunny, beautiful day.
(weeded, supplemented, composted, chipped and watered)
Dinner is very very late.
(May evening at the farmette...)
Happy Mother's Day to my daughters, happy, happy May celebrations to you, however you want to think about them!
with so much love...
