Simple

I've been under the weather this week, and last night I gave up on any pretense of being productive to watch three very different movies back to back (At Middleton, The Italian Key, and Jackie). After I watched them, I realized that they were all in their own ways about daughters searching for their mothers and about mothers searching for themselves. A synchronistic theme heading into Mother's Day.

Becoming a mother, being a mother, and being mothered can be really complicated. That means Mother's Day can be really complicated.

For example, I was just so glad on the Mother's Day right before Jack was born that it would be the last time I'd be asked to stand during a church service to be honored as a mother when I was not actually a mother. At 18, I suppose it was nice to be recognized as a potential mother, but when I was 35 and still not a mother, it was fairly excruciating.

I'm quite content to keep Mother's Day a simple personal affair rather than a overwrought community affair. Like getting an extra big hug from my son when I wake up. Like having a lovely conversation with my mom on the phone. Like sharing brownies and ice cream with my mother-in-law at a family get together.

Like today.