Mother's Day

I can't complain about celebrating Mother's Day during a pandemic because I really was able to celebrate it more this year than most other years in recent memory.  Yesterday we drove to Gladwyne, Pennsylvania to be with Laura's family for a few hours.  It was a feeling of freedom to drive down Route One and the Pennsylvania Turnpike--going farther from home than the grocery store!  We wore our masks much of the time and didn't do any hugging although we both held the baby for a while.

Laura served us a lovely cheese plate and a glass of wine and we enjoyed chatting with her and Michael and seeing five grandchildren ranging in ages from 4 months to almost 13.  Jim commented on how well they all seemed to be doing in spite of weeks of social isolation.   I guess I didn't expect any different but it is true that it is a long time to be at home and they all seemed in good spirits.   Baby Henry had such skinny little legs and arms when a newborn and now he is so beautifully chubby.   He smiles easily and makes lots of baby sounds and it is so good to be able to see him in person--even though we love the videos.

 Then today at Dan's request, we did a family Zoom hosted by Jeff.   Dan and Alex showed off their cabin (a six month lease) in the Catskills including the hummingbird feeder they are setting up and the alpacas next door.   They are very rural and really enjoying being out of New York City during this time of quarantine.   We hope to drive up to see them next weekend.

After our Zoom get-together, we drove to Jeff and Susan's for a cookout to celebrate Katie's Duke graduation.  Our plans for this weekend were to stay at a Doubletree near the RDU airport and attend the graduation but it was postponed; Katie has been home since Spring break.  Her belongings are still in her dorm room at Duke.   Susan had made one of her beautiful cakes and had the house decorated with blue and white Duke colors.   It was very nice but not the end to her college career that Katie would have wanted.  She will be at Princeton for the next several years doing a PhD in engineering so we will hope to be at her next graduation.

I am so thankful to have had three children especially because we began to think we would have just one as wonderful as he was!   And now our three children have wonderful spouses or partners--and there are eight grandchildren.   It is an amazing blessing.

 I often thought that I was not a super-Mom as a couple of my friends were who seemed to revel in every minute of parenthood.    I loved my children dearly but I was not always that good at playing with them or giving them total attention. I prized my solitude and used to think it would be the curse of my old age to have lots of solitude. (I do feel lonely at times but by no means cursed with solitude.)    I think I did find opportunities for my children to do enriching things and I encouraged their independence.  I am proud of each one of them and enjoy them greatly as adults.

I did have the sobering thought today however that I doubt we will make it to little Henry's college graduation--at age 96!  And if we do live that long, we will probably not be strong enough to travel.   My own mother never even lived long enough to meet any of her grandchildren.   My dad's second marriage gave our children a wonderful grandmother however.

 I have celebrated Mother's Day well and am very thankful for my children, my grandchildren, and their father and grandfather.  It was a good day.

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