Happy Mother’s Day!
(I realize we already missed Mother’s Day if you’re in the UK – sorry about that.)
Mother’s Day has always been tricky for me. My mom’s birthday is tomorrow — so some years her birthday is on Mother’s Day and the rest of the time it’s close — and it seemed like no matter how we tried to celebrate, it wasn’t quite right. (Combine them? Why didn’t she deserve two? Separate them? It was too much fuss.)
Then, during the years my husband and I were trying (and failing) to have a family, Mother’s Day was just a reminder of what it seemed I’d never be.
Now, my mom is in heaven and I miss her. (I even, in a tiny and most likely perverse way, miss the fact that she’d be annoyed with whatever way we chose to celebrate the combination of Mother’s Day and her birthday.) We spent her birthday in Texas last year celebrating her life and burying her remains. So those memories are mixed in now, too.
So Mother’s Day…it’s complicated for me. :)
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to let your mom know you love her today. (And then I hope you’ll remember to do it again a couple of times a week for the rest of the year. Cause moms are one of those things I’m not sure you fully appreciate until you don’t have them.)
For myself? I’m really hoping for coffee in bed, but I never know what magic my boys will cook up. The youngest ran around most of yesterday saying he was going to make me a pterodactyl. I’m down with dinosaurs.
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Star Rising by Janet Ferguson is 99c
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This is my mom when we took her to tea at a fancy tea shop on one of the few days when she was feeling up to it after her second round of chemo.
Last Week on Inspy Romance
On Monday, Narelle Atkins talked about how romance readers love cowboys.
On Tuesday, Angela Ruth Strong gave us 10 things to love about romance.
On Wednesday, Sally Bayless talked about having a hope and a future.
On Thursday, Shannon Taylor Vannatter talked about becoming an editor.
On Friday, Toni Shiloh introduced us to the Trouble with Love.
On Saturday, Jan Thompson talked about moms in books.
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Monday: Valerie Comer
Tuesday: Jaycee Weaver
Wednesday: Elizabeth Maddrey
Thursday: Tara Grace Ericson
Friday: Valerie Bodden
Saturday: Staci Stallings
New Releases
May 2020
The Trouble With Love (Faith & Fortune 1) by Toni Shiloh
A Date for Daisy (Bloom Sisters 1) by Tara Grace Ericson
Whatever Happens Next (Everyday Love 4) by Jaycee Weaver
April 2020
The Cowboy’s Reluctant Bride (Saddle Springs Romance 6) by Valerie Comer
Hill Country Redemption (Hill Country Cowboys) by Shannon Taylor Vannatter
Second Chance Sweethearts by Liwen Y. Ho (re-release)
Second Chance Love (Pinecrest 1) by Merrillee Whren
Not Until This Day (Hope Springs 6) by Valerie M. Bodden
Hope for Tomorrow (Hope Ranch 2) by Elizabeth Maddrey
I’ll Be Home (Lewis Family 1) by Toni Shiloh
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Elizabeth Maddrey is a semi-reformed computer geek and homeschooling mother of two who lives in the suburbs of Washington D.C. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth is a voracious consumer of books. She loves to write about Christians who struggle through their lives, dealing with sin and receiving God’s grace on their way to their own romantic happily ever after.
For me being single I always saw mother’s day as celebrating my own mother. It was several years ago some people in church had a special Mother’s day and talked about mother hearts which could be anyone. It left me feeling like I should be upset not being a mother. Its hard to explain but the lady kept going on about how even if you are not a mother you can still celebrate etc. It made me think there must be something wrong with me for not feeling bad to not be a mother. As I mentioned mother’s day to me was for my mother.
I do also know from friends who couldn’t have children how hard it was on mother’s day at church. One even told me how she would stay home or pretend to be sick to not go. She and some other friends have since adopted children. Another shared how as a foster mother when they asked all mothers to stand up and then stay up for the number of children they had she stayed seated. She fostered 6 children and was in the process of adopting the 3 oldest. The boys turned to her and said Stand up Mom why are you sitting when you have 6 children. She said it made her feel so special.
Happy mother’s day to all mothers
I used to skip church on Mother’s day.
But you should absolutely never feel bad about not craving motherhood. I think contentment on that front is a blessing.
If your mother is still alive, I hope you’re able to celebrate her a little from appropriate social distance ;) and if not, I hope you can think of some good memories with her.
A pterodactyl sounds like a perfect Mother’s Day gift!
Happy Mother’s Day, every one!
I’m also hoping for coffee in bed. But just the fact that the kids have been up for 30 mins and I am still in bed is a gift in itself!
Sleeping in is good!
Happy Mother’s Day! I’m praying for you and for all those who’ve lost their mothers today.
I pretty much just asked for breakfast in bed, since my youngest calls himself the Egg Master (and he’s really very good at scrambled eggs!), and my oldest is a bacon connoisseur. :D
But my wonderful husband let me go to Hobby Lobby yesterday, as it just opened again here in NC. He was going to go himself and pick out gifts for both his mom and me, but his gout flared up, so he let me shop for myself. I stocked up on journals, fake flowers, and watercolor paper, found some watercolor pencils half off, and introduced my youngest son (who is creative like me) to the wonder which is Hobby Lobby. It was so much fun!
As to my mom, since she lives almost 3,000 miles away, I sent her an Olive Garden gift card (I know that they can at least get a meal for pickup even if their restrictions haven’t lifted like ours) and wrote a card. I’ll also call her sometime this afternoon.
Aw, I love that! What a fun gift. (My youngest is the egg master around here )
My Mom’s birthday was a few days ago. We almost always combined the two when I was growing up. Even now, we sometimes do! Mom doesn’t mind at all, she never has. Once all of us (my sisters and I) were working, it usually meant that she got much nicer gifts than if she’d gotten them separately. I never married, never had children, though I really wanted to do both. It wasn’t until I was 34 that I accepted that I wouldn’t have children, and, that even if I wanted to, I would no longer be able to after a medically necessary procedure right before my 35th birthday. I’ve decided I really didn’t miss a lot in some ways, as I know the struggles my sisters have been through with my nieces and nephews. I’m actually rather glad I didn’t have to go through all of that!
Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mom’s!!!
Hi Elizabeth! Happy Mother’s Day to so many wonderful moms and grandmas on this blog. My mom passed in 2007 and during this pandemic she is especially close to me. My German mom lived through historical trying times – Berlin Airlift (loss of father, loss of brother, Battle of Kalingrad, 18 months of rationing during the Berlin Airlift, and venturing to a new country in 1955). Cardinals have been flying around my house this past week. What I miss most is as family photographers, I have few pictures of both of us together. Neither do I have pictures together with my sons or grandkids. Plan to change that when this Thankful for my sons. The oldest two sent a text. The youngest, who has worked as a cook and unfortunately lost his job in Texas and moved back home, will be making surf and turf. Purchased dessert from my favorite bakery. Best wishes to all.
I’m glad you found contentment – I think that’s key no matter what the circumstances.
Love this!
I make a converted effort to be in pictures with my boys – I have very few with my mom and me.
My mom went to heaven 14 years ago (and I was thankful she didn’t pass away until a few days after my birthday that year). I still miss her, but it’s not a big ache anymore. I do still have my 94 year old aunt living across the driveway, so get to celebrate with her today. I never had kids of my own, but have quite a few sons & daughters and grandkids in Cambodia from our 3 years of missionary service there.
I love that you can celebrate with your aunt! And that you have your mission kids as well. Happy Mother’s day!
Yes, it is! I know that God knows best, and He knows I wouldn’t have made a good mother! Just because I wanted children doesn’t mean that I would have been a good mom! I love kids, and love my nieces and nephews, but I didn’t have to have them 24/7! I had the best, I could be with them and then give them back!!
My Mom’s birthday is tomorrow also. Thankfully she is still with us, and lives nearby. But I totally understand the celebration conundrum, especially with this whole Corona virus this going on.
The virus is not helping for sure!
We always had the same issue with my mom’s birthday. It was on May 26 and the question was do we celebrate two separate events or one sometime in the middle? Plus, all of us kids were moms so when do our families get to celebrate with us? Mom’s been gone 4 years now and I wish I could experience the dilemma again…..
Hugs. Me too.
We always used to do a combined celebration day in May. We had several birthdays (including Momma, husband & mine) with anniversaries and Mother’s Day. I have since lost Momma, my husband, well everyone but a niece & nephew’s spouses added since. My daughter and her kids live about 1,500 miles away but she is doing a video chat with me so I am very grateful for! My son doesn’t even say Happy Mother’s Day. He did pull his usual “if you don’t feel up to making dinner we can order pizza” feigned concern! Typical teenage boy! 😊🍕
Wishing you all a Happy Mother’s Day!
Ha. Pizza isn’t terrible :)
Happy mother’s day!
Have a blessed Mother’s Day!
You too!
We’re starting to open up here; my sister is a beautician, so she has fit the family in this weekend before the chaos starts Monday. So I went down today, and we all (6 of us!) went to mom and dad’s and visited outside for a little while. It was better than nothing, and while I was gone, my son brought my a hanging basket of purple petunias. So a great day. Hope you enjoyed your day, especially your dinosaur!
Love it!
I ended up with a lovely cut out and colored heart instead of a dinosaur and that’s even better.
My mom’s birthday is May 13. My parents anniversary is May 13. Every five years, all three are Mother’s Day. It gets so complicated buying gifts, especially now that they need nothing tangible. With everything closed, I couldn’t send a restaurant gift certificate. Strange year.
I did want to be a mother. I thought I would leave school, get a job, get married and have a bunch of kids. But I never met anyone. So being single I did’t expect to be a mother. It would be different if I was married and couldn’t have kids. Mum waited 10 years and then lost her first child and finally after another couple of years adopted my brother.
Mum passed away almost 8 years ago. But yes do have good memories.
Hi. I think a number of people struggle with Mother’s Day for various reasons. My husband and I don’t go to church on Mother’s or Father’s Day, anymore. We decided to give ourselves a “pass “ on those two Sundays, for personal reasons. Instead, we spend time together outside – biking usually, and thank God for all the blessings He has given us, and His so many answers to pray and just enjoy each other and a quiet day.
My mom has been gone for 23 yrs. She & I used to go shopping together for mom’s annual flower beds every Mother’s Day. Afterward, mom would sit outside on a chair while I planted them & we’d talk. When everything was finished & cleaned up, we’d share brownies or chocolate cookies together in her kitchen. Every Mother’s Day since she passed, I think of my mom and our wonderful times together. I surely miss her. I’ve continued our tradition of shopping for flowers on Mother’s Day (except this yr) and it’s always such a poignant day. Both mom & I love(d) our flowers. <3
It really is harder when people don’t need anything (I feel like I qualify there myself – I told hubby I want a new mixer for Christmas and he’s not sure about the appliance thing. But I think it’s ok when I asked :) )
So true. And I love how you chose to spend the days instead – I think that’s lovely.
Love and show how much you care about your mom every day.
I miss my mother more as time passes. She passed away at 95 and still going strong, massive heart attack. Thankfully she was not ill before other than what age brings with it. Her mind was still very good. When I was able to go visit we enjoyed our tea and cake or pie at certain times of the day. She was raised in Africa when it was a British Colony, Rhodesia now Zimbabwe. We enjoyed reading playing games and our tea times.
I still have my hot tea and enjoy books with British and European country setting by authors from the areas described.