For mother’s day I gave my mom a copy of Chicken Soup for the Mother and Daughter Soul. My mother is an amazing woman who suffers from unbelievably low self esteem. One day she said, “I may not have been good at much in my life, but I was good at one thing, I was a very good mother.” After a pause she then quietly said, “I was a great mother.” My mom wanted to have a family from the time she was a little girl. Having my brother and I was, and still is, one of the greatest joys in her life. My brother and his wife have recently blessed her with two grandchildren and as an adult I am now able to witness the care she takes in playing and teaching them. The same care she took raising my brother and I.
From as long as I can remember my mother has been interested and engaged in our lives, without being too interested or engaged. There’s a fine line between these two states of being and throughout my lifetime my mom has gracefully maneuvered the tightrope between them. My mother is a true inspiration to me, and if I am blessed to have children of my own, I hope that I can be as generous, caring, and loving as my mother has been and continues to be.
I was excited to find a book in the Chicken Soup line specifically for mother’s and daughter’s. I knew it would be a bit cheesy, but I also knew that my mother would absolutely adore it. (Truth be told I find those books quite inspiring.) Funny enough, I was so excited to purchase the book that I completely forgot that I had already bought my mom a mother’s day present. Earlier in the year I bought a beautiful blue salad bowl for use at casual family dinners. The book was a much better gift for the occasion so I presented it to her on Mother’s Day.
I figured I’d give the bowl to my mom for some other occasion throughout the year, but since today is the second day of my 29 day giving challenge I decided today was as good a day as any to give it to her. I presented it to her first thing this morning.