¡Día De la Madre Feliz!

eaw is the model child at his daycare - they, like all who come to know him, are enamored of his big brown eyes, bright smile, and sweet disposition. The other day, as I walked down the hall to his assigned room for pick up, Miss Sue (an amazing caregiver) leaned into the room to announce to the other caregivers that "eaw's mom is here." I stopped in my tracks at the profundity of that statement, fighting back tears to embrace this reality. I am a mom. I am somebody's mom. I am eaw's mom. I am in awe...

Miss Sue tells me that eaw has made me a special gift. I cannot hold the tears - she looks at me with understanding. I try to explain, "It is my first Mother's Day." She responds by crying with me, and hands me eaw's artwork:

Okay so I'm going to be brutally honest here...I have everything I ever wanted for mother's day. This holiday (for me in the past, and for countless women currently) has been emotionally painful, full of feelings of inadequacy and longing, grief and confusion. Today, I feel complete and grateful and hopeful and compassionate. Borrowing from the Quakers, today I am "holding in the light" some very specific mothers; as well as those mothers who desire, but cannot; those who mother through their creative contributions to the world; not to mention the mothers who have been and those yet-to-be.

Love the whole world as a mother loves her only child. -Buddha