A Hug For Mother’s Day

I was dropping off Emmy in the three year old room for MOPS when one of the mentor moms came up to me. “Oh,” she said as she enveloped me in a big mama bear hug, “I’ve been thinking about you this week!”

It was the week before Mother’s Day, and she had seen some Mother’s Day cards. Looking at them, she thought about how she hasn’t needed to buy a Mother’s Day card for several years now, and it still was hard. She thought about me losing my mom just a year and a half ago.

Oh, how I needed that hug! I needed that hug more than I even knew.

That Friday, Lily woke up with a fever. As the morning wore on, her temperature slowly went higher even after I gave her some Tylenol. She lay limply on the couch, not wanting to move. She wasn’t eating or drinking much. As I carried her from the TV room to the living room she told me she didn’t feel well, and then promptly threw up. It was barely anything to clean up since her stomach was empty, but I put a big bowl by her place on the couch and called the doctor.

Both Lily and her sister had had strep throat twice in April, so her doctor and I were relieved when the strep test was negative. I was to treat her symptoms at home and call if she got worse.

Saturday, Lily continued to have a fever and curled up in her favorite chair. Unused to seeing our vibrant child so inactive, Ed decided to entertain her. He danced and sang around the room, making us all laugh, even Lily. And then…he stepped back, landed on one foot right on the throw-up bowl (empty of contents) and fell hard. His ankle swelled instantly.

Fortunately, Ed’s sister happened to call a few minutes later, and I asked her to take Ed to the immediate care center by us. In one short hour he was home, no broken bones but a bad sprain.

We decided to cancel Mother’s Day.

Okay, that’s not really true. We just canceled the reservations at the fancy brunch we had planned on going to. I still took Emmy to church and sang in the choir that morning, ordering Lily (still feverish) and Ed to rest. The youth group gave all mothers a beautiful rose, and by the time Emmy and I got home, Lily was feeling better. So we went off for a low-key Mother’s Day lunch at Steak ‘n Shake.

That quick lunch wore out Lily, and her fever came back that afternoon. She rested, and I cried. I worried about Ed’s ankle, which kept him off his feet for most of the day. I wanted to call my mom.

But she is gone.

Instead, I got a phone call from my sister, who was also missing Mom.

By the end of the day, I was just grateful for all my blessings. Lily was feeling better (I kept her home from school for one more day; her fever went away and she is back to normal) and Ed’s ankle was not broken.

My thoughts went to the mentor mom who gave me a hug, who was also missing her mom on this day. I was grateful for that simple hug; grateful that someone else remembered that Mother’s Day would be difficult.

Simple BPM
For more simple moments that make up the bigger picture, visit Alita.

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9 Replies to “A Hug For Mother’s Day”

  1. Mother's day can be hard. There is so much expectation friend. Then add the loss of a mother and it can be devastating. My heart goes out to you, but I'm so very happy that you got the hug that you needed.Sending virtual hugs as well,Alita

  2. What a kind gesture. Sorry your Mother's Day wasn't what you were expecting. Glad your daughter and hubby are on the mends.I haven't needed to buy a Mother's Day card since I was 14, when my mom died in a car accident. It left a hole in my heart for many years. It wasn't until I had children of my own that the whole was not totally filled, but it isn't as raw either. Now, I focus more on being a mom than needing a mom. But there are times I wish I had a mom.

  3. Oh, I wish I could give you a big hug, too. Because sometimes that's the best medicine for a hurting heart — a huge hug you didn't really know you needed until it helped mend. Thanks for sharing this BPM, Ginny.

  4. Beautiful post Ginny. Isn't it something how those cathartic moments can just send us into a tailspin emotionally? I do think that they are an odd blessing though…as you mention. We get so busy doing stuff that we forget to just slow down and allow ourselves to just "let go". I hope all is on the upswing for your two honeys. Sending cyber hugs to you!

  5. I am so sorry for your bad day, I hope you will have a really nice day for just the four of you really soon!

  6. I know how you feel, Ginny. For the first couple of years after losing my mother, I wanted to call her, too. I'll never forget the frustration and sadness I felt, not being able to reach her. I thought of it as not knowing her phone number. The intensity of that has faded over the years, but still days like Mother's Day only remind me of what I've lost and not that I'm a mother.I'm glad everyone seems to be on the mend and I'm sending a virtual hug a few days late.

  7. I haven't posted any comments in a while and here I am, 2x in one day! I saw the picture of your mom in the next post and got a lump in my throat. We miss her too!

  8. I'm so sorry you had such a hard day missing your mom. And poor Ed trying to cheer you guys up and ending up in Urgent Care! Glad everyone is feeling better now…

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