Priceless Memories Brought To You In Sarcasm Font (a.k.a. Mother's Day 2021)

 This is always a hard holiday for me because I miss my mom so much. I usually kind of lay low on these milestones and avoid social media, but this year was a little easier than others I have had. My dad has been filling in for my Mama in every way, every day; he took me shopping for plants and we had a lovely breakfast at Edie's - just us - on Saturday. Today I immersed myself in house projects, and throughout the day my kids celebrated me in the way that only my children know how to do. Hallmark won't be calling to patent anything that happens at our house, certainly, but I wouldn't have it any other way - they're crazy, but they're mine. We consider sarcasm an important life skill around here. Please enjoy these snapshots of Mother's Day 2021.

Priceless Memory #1

Emma: "Hey, do we have any special plans for Mother's Day?"
Me: "Do we ever have any special plans for Mother's Day?"
Emma: "Well no, but that's because we do such a good job of appreciating you all year round."

Priceless Memory #2

Aaron:   "Hey kids, Mom really wants some projects done around here for Mother's Day. Let's get some of these chores done for her, okay?"

Kids:   "Can't we just buy her something?"

Aaron:   "No. She really wants the area rugs cleaned and the house picked up."

Kids:   "I think she just wants flowers. Or candy, or something."

Aaron:   "No, now seriously, get ready, I've got a list."

Kids:   "We're going to the store. See you later."

Priceless Memory #3

Me:   "*&%$." (Okay, I may have let a swear word slip out in a weak moment during a difficult project that wasn't going well.)

Cooper:   "Mom. My prefrontal cortex isn't fully developed. I can't be hearing questionable language from you at such a sensitive time in my development. It isn't good for my immature mind." 

Priceless Memory #4

Upon being presented with a Mother's Day basket of goodies from the aforementioned store:

Me:   "Wow, guys, thank you. Hey, these shower bombs look kind of familiar."

Carys & Emma:  *exchanging a look* "Oh. Yeah, those are the shower bombs Grandpa got you for Christmas last year. They were in the way back of the linen closet and we thought maybe you forgot about them."

In all seriousness, every one of these made me laugh - lest you think they're heathens, my rugs are all clean, the house is mostly picked up, my plants are planted, my car got washed, and supper was BBQs from the Dairy Freeze - all good things to wrap up a memorable day. Love my little monsters. ❤

Unprecedented

I alternated back and forth today between wanting desperately to turn off the news, and not being able to turn off the news. I logged into social media tonight and stared at that question blinking at the top of my screen, "What's on your mind?" What's on my mind doesn't fit in a Facebook post, so here I am. 

1.) I thought about turning off my social media completely and refusing to honor my space with an acknowledgment of the atrocity occurring in our nation's capital today. And then I thought that to look the other way and not comment on it was probably far worse. 

2.) I'm not surprised, but I am so sad. I'm not even going to pretend that it wasn't calculated and fully orchestrated. Having watched a number of protests evolve over the last four years, I know that there is no way those people would have gained access to our Capitol building unless there was some complicity on the part of the people who were supposed to protect it and prevent it from happening. Absolutely everyone saw it coming, and don't tell me we didn't have the resources to stop it before it happened.

3.) I think my heart hurts so much because I have grown accustomed to watching Americans be filled with righteous indignation over terrorism that originates from outside of our borders, like 9/11. The fact that our own people are willing to tear apart the fabric of our nation hurts on an entirely different level. 

4.) People of color in our nation have grown accustomed to oppression and to having their needs overlooked and ignored for so long...and they have been forced to tolerate it and swallow it, expected at all times to be quiet & keep the peace. They are consistently lectured over what deemed to be inappropriate protest (Colin Kaepernick.) Yet a very small minority of white people, completely unaccustomed to not getting their way, made the decision today to desecrate a symbol of the nation they purport to love and adore. The irony of this is not lost on any of us.

5.) I'm used to reading about this kind of news in history books. I have been increasingly concerned over the division I see widening in our country, but in my privileged white girl world I have been able to hold much of the world's trauma at arm's length. Tonight, more than ever, that feels selfish, and my thoughts are mostly consumed with what I'm going to do about it. I know I have a responsibility to play a part; I don't know how to do it yet. I have no idea what to do, but I'm listening, I'm paying attention, and my heart is wide open to learning how.

5.) My heart hurts for my country. That's what's on my mind tonight.