This Sunday is Mother’s Day, which is the one day out of the year when sons and daughters everywhere are asked to express their love and appreciation to their mothers.  I’m a little embarrassed to admit, but when I was younger, I didn’t really get the whole concept of a day for mothers.  Wasn’t it just expected that mothers would make all these sacrifices for their children?  And where was a quid pro quo Kid’s Day?  (To which my parents responded, rightly so, that EVERY DAY is pretty much Kid’s Day.)

It’s not like mothers ask for a lot on Mother’s Day.  Now that I’m a mother myself, I can honestly say that all I want is time with my son.  Flowers, hand-made cards, breakfast in bed … all that is totally nice, but it’s just whipped cream to the sundae that is one-on-one time with Blake.  I get a lot of his time now since he’s young and still thinks I’m totally cool, but I know that will change as he gets older.  And that’s when having the trump card that is Mother’s Day will be supremely important.  I’ll be that mom who just wants a phone call to hear his voice, and I can count on a national holiday to help him remember.

But now that I’m a mother myself, I also recognize how amazing mothers are for what they do for their children. We all talk about the sacrifices that mothers make, but I don’t think mothers think of them as sacrifices. Rather than focusing on what they’re giving up, I think mothers think about what they’re enabling their kids to have.   There’s no other relationship that is motivated by such a pure selflessness … or maybe it’s another concept entirely because it’s almost like your child is a part of you that you protect most fiercely.

And no mother is a better example of that than my mom (okay, I’m sure everyone’s mom is a good example of that, but I needed a good transition).   When I got divorced, my mom left her parents/sister and her own home behind in Texas to move all the way to California to help me with my son. Whenever I try (ineffectively) to thank her for that particular “sacrifice,” she just looks at me quizzically and tells me it wasn’t even a question in her mind.

And three years later, she’s still here, helping me day in and day out so I can balance being a working mom. I’m so happy I’lll be able to spend time with her this Mother’s Day and perhaps shower her with a few gifts to boot, even though she’s not expecting them.  And since nothing says Mother’s Day like tulips, I thought this beautiful Dolce & Gabbana tulle dress I got from Moda Operandi (www.modaoperandi.com) was perfect for the occasion.

Cheers to all you amazing mothers!  You are the best.