waiting for mother's day

​Waiting for Mother’s Day
Susie E Caron  (May 9, 2020)

I could not wait for my first Mother’s Day. When years past without children, we hoped to adopt. Roe v Wade had just passed and our social worker cautioned us, it could be a while. However, love won out and an infant came into our home.  The first time I held our baby boy, ( and later our tiny baby girl)  I knew life would be full and I planned to love every minute.
 
Over the next nearly a year, we loved and cared for our little one. Anxiously awaiting  the final adoption decree. I wondered and worried a bit too. It couldn’t come soon enough. However, by that late winter our son became truly and forever our own.  I couldn’t wait for Mother's Day. What an honor to be the Mommy to this beautiful, wonderful tiny human.
 
My first Mother's day arrived with cards and happy wishes from family and friends. I still remember how I felt, so amazed to be a Mother. I had longed for this day. I planned to enjoy and take seriously the privilege and purpose set before us: to raise our child to be a responsible adult who also contributes to society.
 
Almost two years later, we were blessed with a tiny baby girl. Once again my heart filled with wonder at these precious answers to my prayers. Happy Blessings continued! Just before moving to Vermont, we received our lovely daughter's final adoption decree. 

Over the years we played with our children, taught them how to work, and admonished them to always behave well. We prayed and watched over them, but we did not coddle them, or solve problems for them. When they had difficulties, we worked with them to help solve their issues.  We regularly counseled them about the necessity for integrity, honesty and kindness.
 
As they each grew into early adulthood, we remained watchful in our mission, often from a distance. We did not interfere. However, (and whether they welcomed it or not) our occasional guidance was sometimes necessary. As they passed into their third decade, our ‘help’ and ‘advice’ was seldom needed. They had reached adult self-actualization and all we wanted was for them to be happy and safe.
 
This year our two kids moved into the population of 40 & over adults. They engineer their own, lives to fit their interests, intellects and skills, and they continue to make us very proud. They know how to enjoy success as good fun in work and in life and they continue to display honesty, integrity and kindness.
 
Now retired, our lives have changed and I feel a bit differently about this Mother’s Day.

This year, while my kids celebrate Mother's Day for two- MomB & MomC,  we also all get to celebrate our 'shared' daughter's First Mother's Day. This feels especially wonderful. Her mother and I are delighted to  enjoy the pleasure of being Grandmothers!

With the circle of life completed by the birth of Max, our Grandson, I want to thank our kids.

I want to thank them for being born, for being adorable as infants, toddlers, preschoolers and right into public school years and adulthood. I thank them for fulfilling my mission of becoming their Mother.
I thank them for all the hours, days, weeks, months and years of delight in their antics, compassion for their wounds, and excitement for their accomplishments. In essence on this special Mother's Day, I thank them most of all for their love and for allowing me to love them and pray for them always.

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