If I were to write an essay, "What Does Mother's Day Mean to You?", it would be more about having a mother than being a mother even though this is my 47th Mother's Day on the receiving side.
The picture above on the left has always been my favourite of me, my mother and her mother. It was taken May 9, 1976. It wasn't Mother's Day we were celebrating, it was Grandma Ridnour's 80th birthday. And the one on the right, which included the fourth generation was in celebration of Grandma's 90th birthday and was taken May 10, 1986.
The second Sunday in May wasn't officially Mother's Day until 1914 even thought it had begun in 1858. Whether or not it was being celebrated, Delphia Means was born on Mother's Day in 1896. She celebrated her first Mother's Day in 1917 then had combined birthday/Mother's Day celebrations thereafter.
I almost had a similar double celebration when pregnant with my second child - my due date was May 11 which in 1969 was Mother's Day. Unfortunately Kari wasn't ready to be born and didn't make her appearance for another twenty days.
My grandson, Zach, wrote about this second Mother's Day without his Mom and how it should be easier, but isn't. I feel the same way on this, the sixth Mother's Day without my Mom. Their not being here to celebrate sort of takes the whole meaning of Mother's Day away.
That is not to say I don't appreciate the love, the cards, calls, visits and flowers from my four wonderful kids. I do. There's just a whole world of difference between being a mom and having a mom.
I read Zach's post on Facebook as well and it brought back all kinds of the same feelings for me. As with you, it has been 6 years without my Mom and it hasn't gotten any easier. I hope you all remember to tell your Mom's that you love them, 'cause you just don't know when you wont be able to anymore.
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