Mother's Day

Mom and I during her visit to The Hague last December

Today is Mother's Day and it will be the first one in a very long time that I am not able to be with my mom. This is, indeed, very strange. It is a tradition of ours to spend the day together - we attend my mom's church, have a special breakfast at the Pancake Huis in Edmonds (my treat!) and then usually take a drive somewhere, which is one of our favourite pastimes.

The relationship between mothers and daughters has always been complicated. I know when I was younger I was quite a handful and didn't always appreciate my mother as much as I should have! By the time that I moved out and into the dorm at my university, my mom and I started talking on the phone weekly. After graduation and entering the "real world" our calls increased. Once I got married, it seemed that we began calling each other daily - sometimes twice a day if we'd forget something during our first call! Slowly without hardly noticing it, my mom went from being just my "mother" to being my friend. One of my best friends!

Now that I am many thousands of miles away, I often have a homesick feeling for my mom. I have never lived more than 30 minutes from her and so this has been a big change, one that I am still trying to get used to. It is true that sometimes you just need your mom!! Before her visit to see us over the holidays, I sent my mom a message telling her I  missed her. She mentioned in her reply that she understood because sometimes she still misses her own mother. It had never occured to me before that my mom would miss my grandmother. Of course! There is a special bond between mother and daugther that cannot be broken, even by death.

Since I cannot be with my mom today to let her know how much I love and appreciate her, I thought I would just write a few things that we enjoy doing together. My mom and I share a love of gardening. We like to go to plant sales, look through gardening magazines and visit all kinds of nurseries. As I mentioned earlier, we love to go on drives. When I was younger we'd often get in the car on a whim and drive into the night out of the city lights to view a spectacular full moon and the stars. More often, we like to take a drive to the mountains, but have taken longer trips to places like the Oregon coast, a winery tour in the Yakima valley, or up north towards Bellingham. My mom and I also love literature! Because I am no longer close by and we cannot attend Kindlings Muse (a lecture her former pastor gives on his all time favourite novels), we have been choosing books to read together and then talk about them. This has been a special blessing.

And last but not least, my mom and I always feel there is time for a cup of tea. I am not exactly sure when this tradition started, but for some time now whenever we are together we drink at least a cup or two. My grandmother used to say that tea always tastes better in a thin cup. When I am over at my mom's house, she pulls out two china tea cups (some of which were her mother's), boil some water and select a tea of our choice. We then sit inside or out in the garden and just chat and enjoy eachother's company. Sometimes we look at the clock and can't believe our eyes at how much time has passed! I usually dash out and drive home, promising another visit very soon.

Sundays are now a new tradition for us. This is the day (or evening for me) that we set aside to call each other and catch up. Thank goodness for Skype. It is so great to be able to see each other and talk without either of us spending a dime. Fantastic! So although we are not enjoying pancakes together today or a visit to a garden nursery, I still want to wish my mom a very Happy Mother's Day. I love you so dearly and am so lucky to have such a thoughtful, faith-filled, intellectual and supportive mom in my life!  I can't wait to see you in June. Only one more month!

XOXO, Laurel