Happy Mother's Day!

 This is the view from my side screen porch.  Isn't it lovely?  It is NEVER the same view!  But it's always the back side of Beech Mountain, the trees and the sky.  They are just always arranged differently.  BEAUTIFUL!  Mother Nature is amazing.

 I wish I could give all the moms in the world a purple iris for Mother's Day!

They are just so filled with love and joy!

As most of you already know, I have adult children now.  And grandchildren too.  

My grandson wrote "10 Things I Like Best About Mom" and gave it to his mom, my daughter.  So she followed suit, and this is what she wrote (which you must know had me in simultaneous laughter and tears) to me.

Inspired by your grandson, these are the TOP 10 reasons of about a billion why you are the BEST MOM EVER (in no particular order):

1. You played the acoustic guitar and sang "Christopher Robin" to me at bed-time.
2. You hand-made all of my clothes until that adorable little brother of mine arrived.
3. You let me take the "big kids" tap class.
4. I had my first ever back up dancer experience during yours and Bonnie's "Neutron Dance".
5. You made the best Magic Cookie Bars ever!
6. You taught me all about nutrition even if I was VERY reluctant to learn!
7. You taught me to love ALL PEOPLE no matter what their race, background or economic status and you love my "love" Victor C. Hall just like your own son.
8. You taught me to be myself no matter what everyone else was doing.
9. You gave me every skill I use in my "work" : Dance, Speech, Writing, Loving People
10. You loved me unconditionally even when I was an idiot teenager!
Thank you for being the BEST MOM EVER!
Happy Mother's Day! I love you!

My son and beautiful wife sent me a box filled with glorious handmade bath salts, lotions, sugars and bubbles along with this photo of Jon kissing Wilma, the dolphin!  

It moved me to tears to see that little rambunctious red headed boy "still" enough to bask in the gentle spirited magic of a 600 pound, 25 year old momma dolphin!  We moms never really quit feeling in our hearts that our children are still those little people we created and watered until they sprouted! I love that both of my children are unique and know me in ways no one else does.  The way they both offer their love to me in what they know I would love to receive... I am so very impressed and proud of both of them!

I am so very grateful for being able to wear the crown of "mom" in this life of mine.  I love being a mom.  I love being "momma Cheri" to lots of children that are not my blood, as well as being mom to the ones who are!  Both of my children gave me cards that thanked me for being their mom.  Can you imagine?  I am being thanked for something I was honored to have been blessed with!  What a lovely thing.  And in amongst the mix I get more children to love, as I was lucky enough to marry a man with a lovely daughter, Nina.  And both of my children have married wonderful people, and then there are the grandchildren.  Nope, the whole mom thing doesn't stop as far as I can see.  Luckily, it just keeps on and gets bigger and better.  How GREAT is that!? Priceless!

I do, of course, credit my own mom for any insight I've ever had to being a mom.  She was the epitome of a wonderful parent, with the perfect mix of love and discipline, humor and devotion.  My mom's been gone from earth for 20 years now and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't hear her say something to me that makes me a bigger/better person.  Thanks, mom.  I love you always.

I hope you have Mother's Day goodness of your very own!

Blessings,