Thanks For This One Jen! Happy Mother's Day.

She woke up one morning and the house was unusually quiet.  No one was calling for her.  No arguing voices.  No sounds coming from the TV.  No opening and closing of the refrigerator.

She got up and went into the bathroom.  Everything was neat and tidy,  just as she had left it.

As she made her way through the living room,  she realized that she didn't have to watch where she was walking because there were no toys or shoes to trip over,  no socks or pajamas to pick up.

She could smell the coffee brewing as she headed into the kitchen.  She had set the timer on the cofee maker the night before so that it would be ready for her when she woke up.   She no longer had to worry about leaving something hot unattended.

As she sat sipping her coffee,  staring out of her window, she thought about the other times.  She thought about the times when all she wanted was to be left alone, for just one day.   She remembered how luxurious she thought it would feel to not have to make breakfast, lunch or dinner for anyone.    She yearned to sleep past 7:00 a.m. on the weekends and someday, maybe, even sleep as late as she wanted whenever she wanted.

She thought about all of these things today.  She smiled to herself as she also thought about that day, it seemed like only yesterday, that day that she was awakened by little voices outside of her bedroom door.

"I think I hear her waking up, the voices whispered."   Little giggles saying "She is going to be so surprised.  She loves chocolate chip pancakes."

"Do you think she will like our flowers?"  the other voice asked.

 "Come on guys, let your Mom sleep, she'll be up soon, " said the deeper voice.

She thought about how much she missed days like those days.

She remembered how when she would call her mother, not as often as she should have, her mother would say, "It's okay, I don't mind being alone.  And then later on it was "Please, let me stay in my own home, I can take care of myself."  

As she sat there alone with her coffee, on this Mother's day, she remembered and missed her mother.

She felt very grateful for her daughter, and two sons and their families.    Her grandchildren were the light of her life, now.

With a twinge of sadness,  she thought about how her  son had been forced to understand the preciousness of time.   A lesson that she had only just learned.

She glanced at the clock and realized she better get moving.   The kids were coming over today.  How lucky she was.