On the Other Side of Mother's Day!

I am who I am today because of a long line of strong, loving, sacrificing, committed, fun, and amazing women. Gladys. Ivy. Madie. Martha. Dianne. Cleo. 

Gladys was my mother. Tough. Independent. Survivor. Hard worker. Loved nice clothes. Strong. Owned a lot of Estee Lauder perfume. 

Dianne. My heart. Saw something in me that I didn't see in myself. Believed in me. Loved me. Beautiful wife. Gifted mother. Ever present grandmother. Lived with laughter, sparkle, spontaneity, flexibility, faith, and family.

Did I mention love? When you were loved by Dianne, you were loved big, deep, and wide. Always a teacher. Even in her final year, months, days, hours, and seconds. She taught me how to love, how to do family, and how to die. She will forever be in my heart. Dianne wasn't a saint, but she was one to me. 

Dianne loved our girls, Lindsay and Laura. She loved our boys, Todd and Michael. She adored our grandchildren, Harrison, Lily, Grant. and Caroline. Being a mother, mother-in-law, and grandmother came so natural to her! She received a PhD in being a wife, mother, and grandmother under the tutelage of her mother, Cleo. 

Cleo, my mother-in-law. I didn't know when I found Dianne that I would get Cleo and Dianne's sister, Myra, in the deal. Let's call these two the jackpot. Cleo loved to cook. Biscuits. Chicken nuggets. Pound cakes. Anything she thought you might like. Faithful. Humble. Traveler. She was the best. 

I know I am not the only one who can tell this story. Many others have been shaped and molded by a strong and beautiful mother or grandmother or aunt or neighbor or friend. 

So, I am so grateful for the women who have loved, influenced, shaped, and continue to help me become a better person. 

Mother's Day = Happy Day!! Right?

Pictures and promotions and social media will offer images of what it will look like. Happy people, gathered with family and friends, enjoying a lovely meal, and all is well in their world. And for some people that is exactly what happens. Happy people. Family and friends. Wonderful food. A great day. 

Yet, I know we don't live our lives on social media in pictures or advertisements. 

Life changes us. It causes us to shift. On the other side of joy is sadness. On the other side of presence is absence. On the other side of love is grief. 

On the other side of Mother's Day, there is the absence of being loved or being able to love.

A quick list would be:

• Those who have lost their mother.
• Those who never knew their mother.
• Those who were abandoned by their mother
• Those who cannot have children
• Those who lost a child
• Those who lost a grandchild
• Those who didn't have a healthy relationship with their mother
• Those who were abused or neglected by their mother
• Those who are estranged from their mother

And this list could be a lot longer. 

So, what's the point? 

As Mother's Day approaches in all of its commercialization, please pause. Just for a moment. 

Share your love with your mother and your other mothers. 

Be sensitive to those who walk a different path. 

Offer support to those who have lost their mother, grandmother, or other mother.. 

 Be kind. Always, be kind!