My Perfect Day

I couldn't have asked for a better day. In my ten years of mothering, I think this one was the best yet!


I did not get a fancy Hallmark card. I did not get any flowers. I did not get breakfast in bed. I did not get a long luxurious bath. I did not get a massage, manicure or shopping spree.


I woke up to the sound of the leaves rustling in the trees outside my window and to the heavy breathing coming from the three year old curled up in bed next to me, slumbering ever so peacefully.


I went downstairs and made myself a cappuccino and came back up and crawled back into bed and under the covers... (Then the peace ended and the chaos and bickering began!)


We went out to brunch and had a lovely brunch. The kids gave me their hand made cards and I enjoyed a mimosa and Eggs Benedict, my favorite! Despite the rather slow service the kids were wonderfully behaved and kept themselves busy coloring, drawing pictures and playing hangman!


Christopher had a soccer game so we went home to change and then enjoyed a nice afternoon on the field with the other families, children and mothers. (Our team won and is so far undefeated this season!)

After soccer we celebrated some more with ice cream! We all indulged in our favorite flavors.





When we got home I managed to sneak in a short nap... did some laundry, folded some laundry and vacuumed the kitchen floor. Yes, indeed this could all have waited another day but the laundry does not stop and I am a bit OCD when it comes to vacuuming! But as I was vacuuming, which I truly do enjoy, Daddy was giving Alexander a bath and even cleaned up the rest of the kitchen for me!

It's so rare for us to spend so much quality time together without rushing around to this place and that place, this activity and that activity. It was nice to slow down, enjoy my family and enjoy my day!

And as I sit in bed writing this, happy that my day did not disappoint, I cannot help but think of the others... the other mothers out there who are hurting. The mothers who have lost children, or the dream to have children. The mothers who would do anything to have bickering-door-slamming-hitting-biting children. And I cannot help but think of the children who have lost their mothers. As we were walking off the soccer field this afternoon the other team was lined up, each child had a long-stemmed red rose in hand ready to give to his mother and while for a split second I thought our team could have done this, my eyes rested on the manager who lost his wife to cancer just last summer and how hard indeed this day must have been for him and his 8 year old little boy... and so at that moment my thought shifted from the flower to the little boy and his father with no mother to celebrate and hug and kiss and praise... with no mother to tell how much they loved her...


And just before I started writing this I read my friend Jenn's blog and was touched to pieces as she talked about the birth mother, "the other mother" to her two adopted children. And I could not help but think how selfish it was for me to want the things I wanted today... after all I have everything in the world, and how dare I ask for more! How selfish to ask for more! I have my children, my healthy children and really, when it comes down to it that is gift enough!

To all the mothers out there, with children, without children... I salute you!