Yesterday, we celebrated Bella's 5th birthday, surrounded by friends. When the party was over, she and I sat outside eating just one more piece of cake and enjoying the last minutes of the warm sun. I watched as she played with all her new toys, her face filled with joy. It was a great day.
Today it is Mother's Day once again and I am thankful for my own mother - who supports me in everything I do and is always there for me. I know now how hard it was for her to raise my sister and I. And I know now that the love between a mother and her child is never ending.
And I am thankful for my mother-in-laws, who treat me like their own daughter and for the rest of my family and my family-in-law, who I also love very much.
I am in awe of all of my girlfriends who have become amazing mothers. We share a special bond now. All of motherhood's ups and downs make us stronger and wiser and better human beings. We laugh together, cry together, share advice and stories. We survive the tough days with a spur of the moment play date, or plan a girls night out to regain our momentum. We support each other because we know how important our jobs as mothers are. All of you have inspired me more than you know, and for that I thank you.
I am blessed with a husband who loves me for who I am, and tells me so every day. He is a wonderful father and it shows. My favorite moment of the day is when he walks in from work and I hear, "Daddy!" and the sounds of little feet running to the door. Thank you Daddy for all that you do.
Not a day goes by that I don't know just how lucky I am. My daughter has taught me more about life in the past 5 years, than I have learned in my almost 40. By stopping to see the bright green grass growing in a crack in the sidewalk, or wiping away my tears when I lost a loved one. She gets it. Not because she doesn't yet know the evils of the world, but because she chooses to see the good. She is funny, charming, and she knows that unconditional love is the best thing life has to offer - and when we adults forget that, she is quick to remind us. And it works every time.
So thank you my families, my friends, my husband and my beautiful daughter. Thank you for making me the mother and woman that I am today. I couldn't do any of it without you.
Happy Mother's Day.
