"We don't do this kind of stuff at our church. We only do godly stuff." -Kaitlyn

Mother's Day this year was uneventful for me. Since my parents live 2000 miles away in Chicago I didn't have the Mother's Day lunch or dinner. But it ended up being a busy day at church with responsibilities not usually my own. I woke up at 7AM to get to church for the first service so I could assist my roommate Susan with her Mother's Day card stamping project for the kids. Kaitlyn was a first time visitor. Then as I was sitting on the foyer floor waiting for third service, I was recruited to collect offering and count attendance. I did have a Mother's Day lunch technically thanks to Jenny who was the only Mom in our midst. We ate lunch at the French Bakery Cafe. The food was deliciously rich.

Mother's Day is bittersweet for me. One of the most vivid memories I have of Mother's Day is a painful one. Freshmen year, away from home and family, walking along Green Street, trying to avert my eyes from the ostentatiously decorated store windows selling all kinds of Mother's Day paraphernalia - balloons, flowers, cards, chocolate, candy, stuffed animals, t-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. My Mom had passed away at the beginning of my Freshmen year in September and I was still agonizing over losing her. All of a sudden, the word "Mom" was ripped away from my vocabulary. I longed to call out to her and sometimes would quietly whisper "Mom" under the covers over and over and over. No one to send a card to, no one to call on Mother's Day, no one to have a meal with.

Then my Dad remarried and once again the word "Mom" was added to my vocabulary. I was so excited with anticipation in being able to use that word again that I started calling her Mom at the wedding. So this year, I have a Mom to send a card to and to call on Mother's Day and say "I love you" once again. It's not the same of course and I miss my first Mom with all my heart. But still, I'm grateful to have my new Mom.