Today is a Happy Day!!

I thought of many ways to celebrate Mother's Day with a special post. I thought of writing about how special my mother is to me, about all the amazing mothers in my family, or about my experience of being or becoming a mother myself. But I decided that each to do justice to any of these subjects would need to take time to sit, write, and edit. Time that this week, with our family fighting off the flu, I just didn't have. So I will save these for future post.

Of course, part of me thinks that mother's day is just another holiday made up by card and gift companies to make more money. Everyday that I have been a mother is special. My daughter has brought me so much joy that one day a year could never sum it up. But it is always nice to have a day that you are told by those you love that they applicate you.

This year I got a homemade card from my daughter. She is only three so there are no works on it, but you can see that she put a lot of effort into making it beautiful for me. I has stickers, colored pencil, glitter glue, and markers making a nice composition of color and scribbles. Who could ask for more, especially when it is delivered with a big hug, kiss, and the words, "I love you." I also received some lovely flowers from my husband. So sweet and unexpected (he is not really a card holiday person.)

My final gift was from nature. About three years ago my husband and I planted a yellow bird of paradise bush (Caesalpinia gillesii) in my front yard. It is a bush that does well in the desert, but like everything we have planted it has taken years to become established. This is the first year it has bloomed. And what great timing, on Mother's Day.

And just a final

Happy Mother's Day
to all you mothers surfing the web today.