it's in the every day

The Dallas Arboretum played beautifully as our backdrop for Mother's Day - where my sisters and I spread a picnic for Mom and enjoyed the views from near and afar... Especially by my niece Sophia, who was visiting the gardens for the very first time. She curiously watched us feast and then scurry after her playmates, who were taking full advantage of their mobility, and exploring with bare feet...









The hours strolled by with waves of heat - too early for this time of year - and we set off in search of relief from the garden toads...





and cupcakes of course...



... after swiping all the dyed frosting, the three musketeers persevered through several more hours of play thanks to their Aunt RoRo and MoMo...





Preparing for this special day in advance was challenging and I’ll admit, at times even stressful. We constantly wondered, "What would Mom want for Mother's Day?" and knowing the simplicity of her wish - to be around us - didn't seem like enough or encapsule the eternal gratitude and devotion, respect and honor and ... infinite praise and blessings...

After all, Mom and the rest of my family are already a part of our "every day" life - How could we make this holiday special?

I tangoed with this idea until I finally asked myself the same question. Not surprisingly, I found myself landing on the same page that reads:

Motherhood in and of itself, is special. The ultimate gift is the everyday.

The daily involvement and shared occurrences on all of life’s moments, and being together not because of obligation or guilt, dependency or need of company, but for the absolute value of what it means to be a family.

It is in the waking up of each day, in our roles as a mother, that we in fact receive the eternal gratitude and devotion, respect and honor and ... infinite praise and blessings...