mother's day

Those who know me know I'm not too much for Hallmark sentimentality. I'm really not much for holidays in general, perhaps because it means another obligatory empty family get together where we all eat and sit around making empty conversation on a nice day when I could be out really doing something.

But today when I walked out to the mailbox, on a cold, windy, slightly rainy morning, I opened it and found the weekly advertiser, a form letter from my college asking for money, of course, and a big pink envelope addressed to me. The return address was Lincoln, Nebraska, where my stepdaughter Sarah is in graduate school.

Deb- happy Mother's Day! We love you lots! Thanks for always being there for us and for providing us with love and support. We love you, The Big Kids. :)

I was too young to be much of a mom to kids age 12, 10, and 8 when I married The Hermit, but it was part of the package and I did the best I could. Only Ryan, the oldest, lived with us full time; Sarah and Tom were there some weekends and all summer. But I had it easy; they were all wonderful, so loving and accepting and thankful for every little thing. So thank you, Big Kids, you made my day and even made me shed a tear or two.

According to Starflower, I am supposed to sleep in tomorrow morning and we will have a breakfast of blueberry pancakes in bed. More likely, Puffball will park his recently-neutered self on my neck and shower me with purring, and Sally will jump up on the bed trying to wake Mr. Attitude, until I hear the beep of the coffee maker signaling that my morning salvation is ready. At about 6:15 or so.