Mother, Mom, Mommy, Mum, Mama... MO-OM!

Another Mother's Day has come and gone and I have to admit that mine was pretty damn good. The simplest things make for the greatest days sometimes. I had a trip to the vineyard planned with my mother and daughter but in the early morning hours of the big day we decided to stay home, do some much needed yard work, BBQ and play bocce. 

The day started out with coffee and hugs for mom (my mom) and a cute little garden cat with a solar-powered light-up belly; she was thrilled. We chatted for a few hours as the sun started to slowly creep into the back yard, illuminating the dew on the grass under the cherry tree. Looking around, I realised that I have not dedicated near enough time to our magnificent park-like yard and nothing would make my mother happier than to spend the day getting our fingers soiled in the dirt. And so it was; Grandmother, Granddaughter and Mother working outside, in the sun, digging holes, raking, picking weeds, trimming shrubs and mowing the lawn. 

First things first... Food! I left my mother to putter about while Emily and I were treated to brunch by my James. Sausages, hash browns, pancakes, toast, coffee.. All of my favourite breakfast foods were there. Daughter was in fine form, barely whining and contributing to the conversation every now and then. The service was slow, the coffee was hot and James and I held hands across the table. The waitress even wished me a "Happy Mother's Day".

After a quick stop at Home Depot, we were on our way home. A quarter acre of grassy, landscaped yard awaited our arrival. Mother was elbow deep in dirt and happy as a clam. She couldn't wait to get us outfitted in gloves and sunscreen. I thought she was going to burst at the seams with excitement. How people can get excited about yard work is beyond me but to each their own I suppose. Daughter got the hedge clippers and bonsai'd the crap out of the shrubs while I turned dirt over with a shovel just my size, pulled out the green stuff and smoothed everything. Mother played with the weedy whacker, got out the ruler to measure each blade of grass and trimmed until it was perfect. What was amazing about the whole thing was the fact that my mom never stopped smiling. I guess this was a sign that I should work in the garden with her more often.

We were caked in dirt and sweat from our toeses to our noses and finally decided to call it a day at 5:00. Showers first and then steaks on the BBQ. As my mother and I sat on the patio waiting for daughter to get out of the shower, she received a phone call from her best friend...."Let's go to the casino!", she said. My mom started to decline but I insisted she go out and have fun. She could eat dinner with us anytime and her friend is only in town for so long. Daughter was upset but I explained that Grandmas need to have fun too and maybe we should treat every day like Mother's Day and act as a family more often. She hesitantly agreed, sulked for a bit but perked up with the promise of some computer time. 

With dinner out of the way and James cleaning up the kitchen, it was time for some mother/daughter bocce! Trying to keep Sophie from chasing and eating the balls proved to be a chore but we managed. I got a good ass beating from everybody and concluded the evening by falling asleep on the couch while watching Community, drinking tea and having my feet rubbed and moisturised. 

It's funny, so many think that by spending a lot of money and one hour with their mothers on Mother's Day it makes up for the lack of time and energy spent on them throughout the rest of the year. Not true. Most of us just want to spend time with our kids, no matter the age, without arguing, whining, etc.. I don't want expensive presents and mediocre dinners out. I love the handmade trinkets and home-cooked meals that make up a good portion of my Mother's Day experiences. I think my own mom feels the same. 

So unless your mother drives you to drink, spend more time with her. Sneak into her house one early morning (if she doesn't have a gun), make her coffee and chat with her for a few hours. Bring her dessert and watch a "mom" style movie with her. Help her in her garden one day. Take the dog for a long walk with her. You could even just show up for a quick hug and leave again. These little things will go a long way with her and I guarantee, if you have siblings, you will be the favourite and we all know what that means, right? Extra whipped cream on the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving!

We need to love our mothers as much as we can because you never know when they will make their grand exit from this world and when they do, the hole left in your heart can never be filled. A mother's love is like no other. They will stand by you through everything you do, even if they shake their heads and roll their eyes. They will be proud of your accomplishments no matter how big or small and will always kiss your ouchies better. They will stay up into the wee hours waiting for you to come home or wiping your tears away after another harsh break-up. They'll offer words of wisdom when you think you don't need it but those words will come back to haunt you in the future and they will usually be right. Mothers are the light of our lives, the glue that holds us together and the bedtime teddy bear of life. Love and cherish yours for as long as you can.

My  Mother's Day treasure this year