A little perspective for material Mother's Day

Dear AJ,

The last couple of weeks I have spent some time reflecting on my first Mother's Day on the other side of parenthood.  I mostly cruised the internet thinking about what I should ask for:  a new wrap?  a ring with Emma Jean's name or birthday or something else meaningful engraved on it?  a hummingbird tattoo to represent our little Birdie?  a day off?  While I was dreaming of material things I also had the news on in the background and have decided that what I want I already have right here.

There was a time in my life, not so long ago, when I wasn't sure if I would be able to have biological children because cancer might take that away from me.  And a time not so long ago when I thought if I wanted to try I would have to do it by myself.  Now I find myself overwhelmingly happy, and lucky, that I found my partner against the world and we made another little partner against the world.  Watching the news this week I realized that no matter how frazzled I am at the end of the day I will never get tired of hearing "mamamamamama" and having little hands tug at me while I'm trying to pee.  Not only because I was close to never having it, not because time moves so ruthlessly fast, but because of what I keep hearing on the news.

I am endlessly grateful this Mother's Day to be a mother with her little girl in her arms, or more accurately these days clinging to my legs trying to learn to stand on her own.  My daughter is here with me because we did not have trouble getting pregnant.  I am grateful that because despite all of our obstacles in pregnancy and childbirth our daughter is healthy and happy.  And because our daughter was not in school when a disturbed teenager chose to play out something we will never understand.  Because we do not need to hang flyers with our daughter's picture on them pleading for strangers to help us find her.  Because our daughter is not living on the streets prostituting herself for drugs.  Because I am not a single mother working two jobs and still barely able to feed her children.  Because we are lucky enough to live in a country not ravaged by war and poverty.  Because we can tell our daughter that she can be anything she wants to be and mean it.

So this Mother's Day please don't rush out and scramble around for a gift.  Let's spend this weekend celebrating what we have and remembering those women whose hearts are aching for their children for whatever reason.  I have everything I could possibly need right next to me.

Love,
Mel