Mother's Day: Our Daughters and the Rivers I've Cried

1. My children have blessed me beyond anything I could ever deserve. I am not perfect and they are not perfect, but love seems to smooth out all those imperfections. Whatever would we do without unconditional love?
2. Sitting on the porch, recounting stories of the horrid teenage years, one daughter reminded us of her sister's nighttime-sneaking out-escapades in Birmingham. "The police called in the middle of the night!" I recall. Steve adds, "He asked me if I knew where my daughter was. I answered, 'Apparently not.'"
Now we can laugh!
3. We don't go for fancy things or large gestures on Mother's Day. In fact, I traditionally cook for my family on this day. This year we had Audrey and Jared, Jared's mother, and Tess here. One vision that stands out in my mind from today is when Audrey held up her fork with a few asparagus spears flopping on the tines. She waved it slightly and announced, "This asparagus from the garden is really good!" It was classic. She was no different from herself at five years old.
4. A simple text from Chad at the end of the day read, "Happy Mother's Day! Chelsea is proof that you are a magnificent mother!" Aaand that's when I cried.