Happy Mother’s Day!

I just enjoyed a Mother’s Day lunch with my two sisters. My mom had reserved a table for the four of us at one of her favorite restaurants. But this morning, when I texted her “Happy Mother’s Day,” she let me know she was on her way to a birth and wouldn’t make it for lunch. My mom is a midwife, and a terrific one at that. Only Heaven knows how many lives she has touched with her presence during such an important time in parents’ lives — the birth of their child.

But on Mother’s Day? I felt bad, for me, for my sisters, and for my mom. Going to lunch without her felt like throwing a party without the guest of honor. It was great to visit with my oldest sister, whom I haven’t seen since last year, and have time to chat with my sisters without being interrupted by our children every 2.5 minutes (as much as we love them). But it also felt like something was missing. Someone.

I realized, though, that mom is doing what she does best, being there for others when they need her. Just like she was always there for me.For all of us.

Some evenings, I struggle to make sure my kids have finished their homework. My mom home-schooled six of us and I never heard her complain or remark about how much work we all were. Actually, when my older siblings started going to high school, she would be happy to call in sick for them when needed, because it would mean they would be home and she would have more time with her kids. She just loved being a mom.

All week I’ve been thinking about writing a post here for Mother’s Day, wondering what to write about my mom. I have enough precious memories to fill a book, but somehow nothing I could formulate into words seemed “enough.” It’s funny how the people who mean the most to you, and who have done the most for you, are the same people you feel most incapable of appreciating and thanking, and telling them just how much you love them. But I guess we still have to try.

For the record, Mom … Thanks. I love you and admire you more than words could say. Thanks for always dreaming of being a mom, because you are the best one ever! Thanks for following your calling to be a midwife, because so many more people than just me — mommies and babies and daddies too — need the blessing of your concern and care. Thanks for living your dreams, because it shows me that I can live mine too. And thanks for being an awesome mom, because it inspires me to try to be the same for my kids.

Happy Mother’s Day!

No Greater Privilege