<p>(Deviating from regular scheduled thread): I always have tests or papers on my birthday. Always. Soph high school - French. Junior year - chem. Senior year - calc the day after (which was worse, because I went out with my friends for the 18th). Freshman college - Saturday. Soph - Sunday, and <strong>two</strong> math exams the next day. Junior - Greek. Senior - chem engin. test which was MOVED to that day! 1L - paper due at midnight, so, when I turned it in at 11:53, I had seven minutes of birthday fun. Grr!</p>
<p>Despite being blessed with a fabulous, loving mother and great kids, I hate mother’s day. But I definitely celebrate Mothers and Fathers. The following is making the email rounds, and while aimed at moms, I dedicate it to all you CC parents:</p>
<hr>
<p>Happy Mothers DAY</p>
<p>This is for the mothers who have sat up all night
with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf
laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid
saying, “It’s okay honey, Mommy’s here.”</p>
<p>Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end
soothing crying babies who can’t be comforted.</p>
<p>This is for all the mothers who show up at work with
spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their
blouses and diapers in their purse.</p>
<p>For all the mothers who run carpools and make
cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the
mothers who DON’T.</p>
<p>This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies
they’ll never see. And the mothers who took those
babies and gave them homes.</p>
<p>This is for the mothers whose priceless art
collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors.</p>
<p>And for all the mothers who froze their buns on
metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead
of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that
when their kids asked, “Did you see me, Mom?” they
could say, “Of course, I wouldn’t have missed it for
the world,” and mean it.</p>
<p>This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids
in the grocery store and swat them in despair when
they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream
before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to
ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.</p>
<p>This is for all the mothers who sat down with their
children and explained all about making babies. And
for all the (grand)mothers who wanted to, but just
couldn’t find the words.</p>
<p>This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their
children can eat. For all the mothers who read
“Goodnight, Moon” twice a night for a year. And then
read it again. “Just one more time .”</p>
<p>This is for all the mothers who taught their
children to tie their shoelaces before they started
school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro
instead.</p>
<p>This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to
cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.</p>
<p>This is for every mother whose head turns
automatically when a little voice calls “Mom?” in a
crowd, even though they know their own offspring are
at home – or even away at college.</p>
<p>This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to
school with stomach aches assuring them they’d be
just FINE once they got there, only to get calls
from the school nurse an hour later asking them to
please pick them up. Right away.</p>
<p>This is for mothers whose children have gone astray,
who can’t find the words to reach them.</p>
<p>This is for all the step-mothers who raised another
woman’s child or children, and gave their time,
attention, and love… sometimes totally unappreciated!</p>
<p>For all the mothers who bite their lips until they
bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.</p>
<p>For all the mothers of the victims of recent school
shootings, and the mothers of those who did the
shooting.</p>
<p>For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers
who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging
their child who just came home from school, safely.</p>
<p>This is for all the mothers who taught their
children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home
safely from a war.</p>
<p>What makes a good Mother anyway?
Is it patience?</p>
<p>Compassion?</p>
<p>Broad hips?</p>
<p>The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a
button on a shirt, all at the same time?</p>
<p>Or is it in her heart?</p>
<p>Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or
daughter disappear down the street, walking to
school alone for the very first time?</p>
<p>The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from
bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back
of a sleeping baby?</p>
<p>The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M.
when you just want to hear their key in the door and
know they are safe again in your home?</p>
<p>Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug
your child when you hear news of a fire, a car
accident, a child dying?</p>
<p>The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our
thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through
diaper changes and sleep deprivation…</p>
<p>And mature mothers learning to let go.</p>
<p>For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.</p>
<p>Single mothers and married mothers.</p>
<p>Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for
you all. For all of us. Hang in there. In the end we
can only do the best we can. Tell them every day
that we love them. Every day.</p>
<hr>
<p>Have a great Mother’s Day weekend.</p>
<p>Mother’s Day – my wife always sends flowers to the M and MIL, and I always send emails to my kids to remind them that Mother’s Day is coming up. . . .</p>
<p>Well, I’m not a parent, but I went to go buy my Mother’s Day presents…</p>
<p>I bought my mom three scented candles, and a bottle of Eau de… something or another… lol… the entire bottle was written in French. :P</p>
<p>Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms here. Your kids are lucky to have you on their sides. </p>
<p>What I usually encourage the kids to do for Mother’s Day for my wife is make homemade cards–they all like to draw. This year I made a card on the computer, from them, and had them sign it. </p>
<p>We will see my sister, also a mom (of three girls), tomorrow, and my mom will be there too. We’ll have brunch together. I’m glad my sister does the cooking on so many family holidays.</p>
<p>NJRes!!!
You won’t believe this!! My younger son just gave me my mother’s day card!! GUESS which card it was! Cute little blue dog with a big pink nose on the front holding a flower— (for all others, see post # 2)</p>
<p>So, when I read the cover, I recited the inside line without opening it!!! Great minds do think alike, and I TOLD you this was my kind of humor! 
(see post # 16)</p>
<p>(PS sorry for all the exclamation points)</p>
<p>Happy Mother’s Day Everyone!</p>
<p>For all birthmoms and adopted moms:</p>
<p>Legacy of an Adopted Child </p>
<p>Once there were two women
Who never knew each other.
One you do not remember
The other you call Mother.</p>
<p>Two different lives
Shaped to make you one.
One became your guiding star
The other became your sun.</p>
<p>The first one gave you life
And the second taught you to live it.
The first gave you a need for love
The second was there to give it.</p>
<p>One gave you a nationality
The other gave you a name.
One gave you a talent
The other gave you aim.</p>
<p>One gave you emotions
The other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile
The other dried your tears.</p>
<p>One sought for you a home
That she could not provide.
The other prayed for a child
And her hope was not denied.</p>
<p>And now you ask me through your tears
The age old question unanswered through the years.
Heredity or environment
Which are you a product of?
Neither my Darling, neither.
Just two different kinds of Love.</p>
<p>In Nepal we celebrate Mother’s Day today…</p>
<p>It started with an early morning wake up for her with ‘Tea’ prepared by me…Flowers from our own garden…And a lunch cooked by my sister and me…</p>
<p>Personally today was a very special Mother’s day, as for next year I might not be with her here in Nepal at this time.</p>
<p>And while I gave her flowers this morning, she hugged me and said for the first time, “I so much wish that you needn’t go so far away from me. I so much wish that you could remain back home with us in Nepal for your higher studies. I know this is an impossible wish but I really love you.”</p>
<p>This is perhaps more appropriate for the “grouchy” thread, but I was glad that my daughter didn’t see the Fathers’ Day card for the 90s published in the LA Times which might be converted into a Mothers’ Day card for the New Millenium:</p>
<p>Even though you’re far away
I think about you every day
And talk about you…
In my support group</p>
<p>Twelve years ago, my youngest interrupted my Mother’s Day long distance phone call to my own mom with a blood curdling scream. When I got outside, the 4 year old was walking from the back yard to the front door cradling a deformed right arm. Fortunately, this one is left-handed!!</p>
<p>I have been on service/on call in the hospital all weekend. My husband gave me the best Mother’s Day present. He did ALL the laundry!</p>