It's For You

"Who's calling?" (1959)

Mother's Day used to be so hard. The first year, the second year, and many years after that. A Mother's Day brunch without my mother? What's the point? But then I realized I could still celebrate her and Mother's Day got easier. After all, I had other mothers I could honor in the here and now. My wonderful and hilarious mother-in-law. My wonderful and hilarious friends who are mothers. And another mother I knew better than anyone. Me. True, I've had my ups and downs as a mommy. Who hasn't? But only the early years. The teen years. The young adult years. Motherhood is a full-time, low-paying, worry-inducing, highly-rewarding gig. You make mistakes. A lot of mistakes. You say the wrong things. You overreact. You pick the wrong battles. This thing I've been doing for much longer than my own mother has been gone, it's a work in progress. I learned a lot from her. Things I wanted to do the same. Things I wanted to do differently. I'm grateful for all of it. I wouldn't trade this job for anything. So happy mother's day, nice people. And if you still have a mom, give her the biggest hug and don't let go. You're luckier than you know.

The Original Pouty Face (1961)