Why I Don't Hate Mother's Day
But I understand those who do...plus a little jazzy music, a little Mom comedy, and our first featured author!
Growing up, I never gave Mother’s Day all that much thought, but in recent years I’ve come to appreciate how fraught a day it is, for SO many people: those who don’t want to be, or cannot be, mothers; those who have difficult/impossible relationships with their moms; those who lost their moms, or never knew them. I learned that even the founder of Mother’s Day, Anna Jarvis, who wanted to honor her own mother in 1908, eventually turned against the holiday, hating the way it had been commercialized. And it surely was, and is.
For me, though, I can only write about my own experiences. My mom Joanie and I were incredibly close, and then incredibly at odds (and back and forth) my whole life. We raised our children quite differently, and at times I was so, so tough on her. How that attitude came back to haunt me when I struggled with my own kids! But 17 years after her death, I miss her more every day, and am really glad she was my mother.
MUSIC: “My Funny Valentine” by Rodgers and Hart. This version arranged by Gene Harris, and performed by Evan Seyfried.
This was my mom’s absolute favorite song, and she especially loved to hear Evan playing it. He even played it at her funeral in 2006, a beautiful final gift to her (so grateful for Pastor Mike Carlson’s openness to a rather “unorthodox” service:-).
I will end this reflection by giving thanks for my five incredible children: Sheridan, Evan, Rose, Patrick and Julie. You are my miracles, and make every day Mother’s Day for me.
Now then, on the (much) lighter side of mothering…I wrote this goofy piece for Widget Magazine a few years ago. Hope you enjoy:
FEATURED AUTHOR: In this newsletter, I want to periodically spotlight some authors whose work I think is wonderful. Sometimes they will be friends (like today!), and I am lucky enough to know several terrific writers.
My first featured author is Te-Ping Chen, and her amazing book of short stories is called Land of Big Numbers. The stories are set in modern China (Te-Ping lived and worked in Beijing for years as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal), and involve everything from invented flying machines, robot noodle makers and magical fruit, to a flower shop employee’s encounter with a rich customer’s expensive pen, and a brother’s bewildered concern for his dissident sister. Some are wildly fanciful, some more straightforward—but all explore the different ways humans cope with the often-bleak realities of today’s Chinese society. Land of Big Numbers has received kudos from The New York Times, NPR, and was even on Barack Obama’s list of favorite summer reads! I highly recommend this collection by a writer who has a journalist’s eye and a poet’s heart.
BLOG PREVIEW:
Right now, I still have no clue what to blog about this week! Topics in the running include the coronation of King Charles, ulterior motives, and jet lag. What’ll it be? Tune in to Working Title tomorrow and find out!
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK:
It’s true, my friends. We are made of the stuff of the stars and the mountains and the sea. What a blessing to be so interconnected with all of creation!! This week, get outside, and find yourself there…