A Good Problem to Have

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!
A couple of years ago, I was lamenting the cost of greeting cards, and that I end up paying out too much money around Mother's Day. You see, I don't only buy them for my mom, but for all of the "mother figures" in life, so they kind of add up. Then I stopped in my tracks, because I realized...this is not a bad problem to have. I have so many women in my life that I want to acknowledge as mother-figures, it ends up costing me some money (And I've tried a box of cards to save money, so I know, it doesn't HAVE to be expensive.)

So, for Mother's Day, here are the women to whom I traditionally send cards:

My Mom Of course, she is first. She gave birth to me, she raised me, mostly alone, she has always been the best mom a person could want. I love her very much, and I'm thankful to have her.

My Mother-in-Law She gave birth to Ted. She loves me and cares for me, and she truly understands how difficult it is for a person to live far away from their mother (She lived in a different country than her mother for most of her life). Because my mom is far away (Juneau, about 1,000 miles), my mother-in-law spoils me a bit. :)

My Grandmother She is the best Grandma ever, and I have always held her near and dear to my heart. I used to love writing letters to her, and how she would pick me up after swim practice, and give me pork chops if I wanted them when my mom was vegetarian. I have so many wonderful memories of time spent at her house...I used to spend spring break at her house, even though we lived a block away from her.

My Step-Mom She is an amazing woman as well, very nurturing, giving, and loving. She truly cares for people, and is an inspiration in how to care for loved ones. Her first husband died in Viet Nam, an event which threw her world into a tail spin...kind of like my Grandma, whose first husband died when my mom was only 6. It's a lesson in learning to live, to be able to recover from something as horrible as that. She's also a savvy business woman, and she has a FUN car.

My Grandmother I know, I have two. That's pretty good when you get to be 40, to still have both of your grandmothers around. I did not grow up knowing her, but she has always been kind and loving to me, and I am very thankful to have gotten to know her, and to be able to spend time with her. We have spent many hours in her garden, which she loved SO much...last year she had to leave her home of 50+ years to go to a retirement home, which was hard on her. She's actually doing pretty well, though. She'll be 90 in September.


My Almost Mom When we lived in Alaska, and then again in Stockton, we had a roommate and her daughter, and she was like a mom to me. She cared for us all, and we were a family. She and my mom were best friends for many, many years. She has drifted out of our lives now, but she is always in my heart. She lives far away, in Missouri.

So, if I spend $3 on a card, and I have 6 cards to buy, that means I'm spending quite a bit of money on Mother's Day Cards. One of these years, though, I'll only have 5 cards to buy, and that will feel like a very different, very real type of problem, compared to my current one, a life filled with so much love.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, who have given birth or haven't, who have given love, support, and kindness to your daughters and sons. You are appreciated. You are loved.