Can you believe it’s Mother’s Day already? Wow, time is flying. It seems like yesterday that we were celebrating the kids’ birthdays, and now Boom! Here’s Mother’s Day.

My kids have been very patient with me. I am learning to put them first over my work. A few weeks ago, my kids were complaining that my students, coworkers, and I planted a garden but they – my actual kids – had not.

So, my friend and master gardening Rosana met us at Milmont nursery and I let each child choose their favorite plants. When we came home, we planted an entire herb garden. As the week went on, we planted vegetables, fruit, and flowers. My friend said we planted more in a week than most people plant in an entire season. However, I also got a season’s worth of poison ivy. Literally it feels like about a fourth of my body is covered in oozing Poison Ivy (nice visual, I know). I was trying to be all cute and wear what I usually wear around the house— short sleeve shirt and tennis skirt—and boy, did I learn my lesson. I ended up crying at night because my body was itching so much. A new friend invited me to a party and I almost canceled. But then I decided to wear now what I should have work initially—head to toe clothes—and join the party anyway. And you know what was the only time today that I wasn’t feeling itchy? The party! Hats off to the host.

I actually just took a break from writing to spray myself with poison ivy itch relief spray. If I had gardened earlier in my life I would have already learned but here we are. Not too late to learn, but holy moly, it’s tough to be so itchy. Yet it does force me to cut down on activities and prioritize what I actually want and can do. And have some time to reflect. Case in point, I am actually writing something. It’s really hard for me to slow down and pay attention.

Here’s an example. The kids had a piano concert today outside in Mint Springs. Folks played with the backdrop of a lake and mountains. My dad warned us that it would be cold. Yet, my youngest didn’t want to wear a jacket and just before leaving the house we had a mini standoff and I forgot about everything else in life. But eventually everyone was in the car and we were actually bundled up and pretty comfortable. We were feeling pretty proud of ourselves once we got to the park until we realized we forgot our book with the piano songs.

Thankfully, the kids had practiced enough that they didn’t need it, but I honestly wasn’t sure they would be okay until I saw it with my own eyes. I was so mad at myself I forgot their piano book that I wanted to dive under the water and was kicking myself all the way until they performed and to my relief they all remembered their songs. Praise God for practice time together! The whole family rallied this week to make sure they knew their songs and it paid off.

Even so, Sasha was embarrassed that some other kids her age were playing much more difficult songs, but I told her not to compare herself to them. We’re all trying to do the best we can at the level we’re at, girl. It’s hard not to compare, but you just have to be proud of yourself for sticking with piano during the pandemic. And also with tae kwon do. Which we also had today. Sticking with anything really when it’s so tempting and so easy to give up.

I felt like giving up on cleaning today but even after I made the kids play piano and go to tae kwon do, they helped me go through the shoe chest and take out the shoes we can donate. Usually, I am way too hard on them. But today, I see that they really did a lot. Maybe it’s easier to reflect when you’re super itchy and can’t move a lot. It’s frustrating to experience this itchiness, but hey, I get to stop moving at 120mph and see that my kids are really doing the best they can, too.

We’re all doing the best we can. We can compare ourselves to that piano virtuoso over there or we can just say you know what? I made it through this day. And yes some parts of it were really tough but at the end of the day I can say I am grateful for my little team of humans. We all need God to change us, we all need to repent on a daily basis. But also. . .we’re making the most of a hard year. And for that, I am truly thankful.

Happy Mother’s Day! Hope you have time to stop and appreciate how good life really is today. And if it’s not so good, hang in there. I pray you will still find some joy in today! Hope you see some beautiful flowers!