The Happiest Mothers Day

Wow! I have had not just a Mothers Day, but a Mothers Weekend.

I sent Seda on "Writers Retreat" -- 2 days in the home office with an evening of dancing between, all meals prepared, while I fielded the kids. (I get to take next weekend "off," away at trainings.) It was such a pleasure to contribute to her joy and focus.

Waking Saturday morning physically and emotionally exhausted from a trying week, I vowed to be gentle with myself and only do what I felt like doing: a little piano, dig a bit in the garden, play quietly with the kids.

The Universe held me with such care; the kids have needed only 2 interventions my part all weekend. Yes. That's right. I can count them. (Does this mean my Saturn is rising?) And. After playing with friends while I practiced piano and did household chores at a leisurely pace, they started digging up the lawn with me.

We set a goal -- very lofty -- to complete the dig (which I had guessed would take weeks) on Saturday and Sunday, then go to ice cream to celebrate. We all jumped in with a shovel. Soon 3-4 more children joined us. Trinidad focused intently on a strip that he wouldn't let anyone else touch, so proud was he to watch his own progress. Sam flitted in and out, but always entertained himself between until this afternoon at 4:00 when he asked who wanted to play "Go Fish." We dropped our shovels and sat in the dirt to play. Other children came and went, creating acrobatics and clown shows around the trenches dug.

At 5:00 tonight, I could hardly move another muscle. All of the lawn had been taken up, and the declumping of clods could wait 'til tomorrow. The neighbor handed me a beer. I split it with Seda, and at the end of my half, I was laughing hysterically. What a lightweight! Six city yard-debris garbage cans full (almost every one of our friends this end of the street). The plastic netting under the sod too much a danger to the chickens.

Such a lovely couple of days. My two favorite things: shared work with the kids and garden accomplishment. Huge celebration. Trinidad had to be called in at dark last night, so determined to dig. He must have put in eleven hours total, and moving nearly as fast as me. That must be worth a year of the "chores" that I don't require him to do. I will remember this.

The thrill of working toward a common challenging goal is something I would like to take from the experience. How can I incorporate this meaningful, measurable accomplishment into more aspects of our days? The connection, the conversation, the physical labor, the garden bed prepared... all so sweet. And the kids so confident in their abilities.

They are even determined to help me sculpt the beds and plant when we get the load of dirt in the next day or two. I'm delighted to imagine that I ain't seen nothin' yet....

Happy Mothers Day to my amazing Mom who raised me to laugh and leap at the moon, meeting challenge with sharp-tongued wit and gnarly grit. To my mother in law, who casts her eye toward the love idea of every insurmountable obstacle set in her path, drawing strength straight up from source. To my grandmother, who taught me to move and keep moving, always with a smile and in the company of friends.

And happy Mothers Day to every mother among you as well as those who are blessed to mother others' children, catch as catch can. May we all take the best from what we have known, create some more, give it forward, and forgive ourselves the rest at the end of the day.