Today was Mother’s Day. It was so wonderful to celebrate the incredible mothers in my life. I was able to connect with my mom, Suzanne, and my grandma, and we had Georgia over for lunch. All of these women mean so much to me and have impacted me in unique and special ways. It is also a very special day to acknowledge the incredible mother that Lily is and the kids made her gifts of love and appreciation. I booked Lily a massage in the afternoon, and afterwards we all visited Georgia again at her place and Lily gave her a foot massage.
Afterwards, we all had a delicious dinner at Via 313.
Transparently, Mother’s Day tends to be a hard day for Lily as she is hard on herself, but I’d like to put a few thoughts on paper for you sweetie.
I love the way you mother with so much intention. Thoughts, hopes, dreams and concerns for our children are ever in your mind and heart. You intentionally design a life for them that is structured, rich, cultured, grounded in values and depth and with the right amount of openness to their own personalities and desires. You have jump started their reading, exposed them to languages, passed on a love a cooking, painstakingly instilled musical talent, nurtured, orchestrated trips and adventures to show them the world, modeled humility, apology, and getting it right over being right. You laugh with our kids, play wingspan with them, play with Clarissa, organize playdates with them, set boundaries for them, teach them, instruct them, listen to them, give the massages at night, strike a balance on what to allow them to be exposed to and what not, watch family movies with them, host parties for them, listen to them talk and so so so much more. And as much as I try to help with the house, there is no question that you do the lion-share, and it is so deeply wonderful to live in an environment that is beautiful, clean and organized. Thank you. You also have the best ideas, like our pet dog, our home, our fruit trees, going to Palm Springs as a family, Orchestra tickets and other artistic performances, ski school for our kids, and the list goes on and on and on. You are also deeply wise and kind. When I read your writing, I see the beautiful thoughts, values and life philosophy that underpin the beautiful person you show up as. You are beautiful inside and out and I cannot imagine a better mother for my children. Thank you, thank you, thank you thank you for being my best friend and partner, and for for all the time, energy, intention and heart you put into this family. We flourish because of you.
To my mother, thank you for always loving me unconditionally. I never once had a question if you loved me or thought I was cute and smart, and I still don’t question that. I always feel like we get each other and I feel a sense of home when I talk to you.
Suzanne, thank you for taking my brothers and I and our families fully into your life. You invest in us, care for us and truly love us and it is a joy to have you in our lives. I love your cheer and really enjoy our chats.
Georgia, you too have become a mother to me, and you have loved and supported our family in every conceivable way. When I go through something hard, I feel your love and support and genuine care, and on your current difficult road, you are modeling breathtaking courage and faith.
Grandma, I love your sense of humor, and your never-ending cheer. You are always gracious and kind and have a smile on your face. You show genuine interest in our family, and your heart is so gentle. Your love and good energy radiates and I’m so grateful for our visits.