In the afterglow <3

I am just sitting here in the afterglow of a lovely weekend with a cup of coffee and my musings. 

This year Mother’s Day fell on my dad’s birth anniversary. Just as it did the year he entered the world. It makes it special when that happens and now we have a cute young friend who celebrated his 8th birthday on Mother’s Day, and like my dad, was also born on that special holiday for his mom. 

It makes me smile to think they are birthday buddies. 

I don’t put a lot of expectations into Mother’s Day. I, myself, would get busy different years and be late or AWOL with a card for our sweet moms. Because we lived far apart, sometimes they got a gift and sometimes they didn’t. 

My first Mother’s Day when I was a mom and I got honored, it was like a dawning in me that, now this was an occasion that I was part of personally. I remember several years when Russ would ask me to not get up, even though he knew my morning coffee and quiet time as an oasis to start the day. 

I would lay in bed, listening to the clattering in the kitchen and three little voices being shhhushed by their dad. Finally they would make their way upstairs with a cookie sheet tray, some toast, a glass of orange juice and a cup of tea because none of them knew how to make coffee. 

As I ate, they would surround me and move around knocking the tray and holding their blankets and animals dangerously close to the cup of tea. I can still see those three happy faces, so proud they had given their non-breakfast eating, non-orange juice drinking, coffee loving mom this feast. 

And it was a feast.

Every bite, every sip, every hug. 

This year they gave me a delight in a whole new way. 

Russ and I were gone most of the afternoon watching soccer and then met friends for dinner. Around 9:30 we decided to go out front and see if we could see the Northern Lights. It was a bust and so we headed back in. 

I spied a brushy shadow in the corner of the porch – and no…it was not a squirrel, groundhog or any other critter that seem to love me so much. 

It was a beautiful bouquet of flowers and as you can see in the photo above, it is exactly the colors I have seen of the Northern Lights. I sat there gazing at it and wiping tears and let me just tell you, the card said it was to the best mom in the world, from Rachel, Sarah and John. 

There is more to the story that makes it even more precious, but that is part of the gift and is tucked away in my mom-heart. The card will get taped in my journal. I have saved a spot for it, along with room for photo of the bouquet. 

And deep, deep in my heart is a glow that will not whither or fade. I am blessed to be their mom. I love them each so much for who they are. I love their hearts and I am so grateful God entrusted them to Russ and me <3

Best. Day. Ever.