Mother's Day

Mother's Day weekend was very interesting, to say the least.  Junior seemed very happy until we arrived to brunch.  His dad and I had ordered his belgian waffles and proceeded to join the family at the table.  They were seated at a long table in the middle of a ballroom which sat across from the beach and had avery beautiful view of the ocean.  As all eyes on him, or so he thought, we entered a room of approximately 120 guests.  It was at this moment that Junior began resisting us.  He refused to walk, screamed, cried loudly and refused to go a step further into the dining area.  He knelt down and used an almost super-strength all in an effort to not continue.  A little frazzled, I still remembered my motto, which is to leave my ego at the door.  So I calmly walked over to my family while his dad struggled to walk him outside.  I told them that we may have to leave since the crowd is obviously freaking him out today.  After pretty much saying my goodbyes, my mom, sister and I joined my husband outside while Junior continued to resist by scratching and crying.  My sister Lisa, who has always had a calming effect on him, suggested that instead of leaving that we walk across to the beach and ry to give hime some air.  I agreed.  This decision became the new light to my seemingly troubled day.

Three magical things happened when taking that walk on what I now recall was a beautiful, warm and sunny Mother's Day morning, apropos to what would soon occur to me.  First,  Junior actually did calm down completely and he even began asking to return to his "pancakes".  He was showing signs of being ready to re-join the family and the fact that he communicated that was a huge change from five minutes before.  That made me very happy.  Second, and to start off the journey, my sister reminded me how humbling staring into the abyss of the ocean can be, as it puts everything into perspective and reminds us of the smallness of our so-called problems.  She said it should remind us of how minute these problems are within the grand scheme of the universe.  Third, and most amazingy, I believe that the culmination of Junior's sudden calm, added to Lisa's words of wisdom and the truth to her words as I stared out into the sea, together formed an all-calming, welcoming, warm feeling of something I never thought I needed but now I am sure that I do: acceptance.  I had an epiphany, and my declaration is this:  I accept my son, my fate, his fate and the fate of our family.  I accept who he is, what he can be, and who I must be for him, for myself, and for the rest of my family.  I accept it all, and I am okay with it.  And with acceptance suddenly came an overwhelming ability to see the beauty that surrounds me.  It gave me rest, and it gave me peace, about as suddenly as Junior recieved the same.  I had the most amazing walk on Mother's Day morning, because when I returned, I returned to the loving arms of the rest of my sons, beautiful as they are and proud as they make me; of my loving nephews, parents, sisters, and brothers-in-law; even of the fellow guests who seemed to welcome me back, and I smiled a smile from heaven.  At that moment I felt that I had been truly blessed, despite how it appeared minutes before. This wekend, my greatest gift is when upon my return and perhaps through my enduring smile, that my Super Mother called me a Super Mother.  Yes, yesterday I learned how to be a Super Mom firsthand and again, and I was reminded that a person never stops learning, especially about him or herself.

So Happy Mother's Day 2013 to all of you Super Moms worldwide!  I wish you peace, love, happiness and acceptance.  God Bless you.