I hope all of you that are Mothers..and I think most of you are...have a wonderful Mother's Day today..take it easy and have some fun. You deserve it. I know I plan to.
Dennis and I are going to a trap shoot later this morning, then we will go to my parents home on the farm where I grew up. My sister will be there from Nebraska. I haven't seen her in several months.
Happy Mother's Day all!

Thanks! Hope you enjoy your sister's visit. Sounds like a fun day.

I am heading to church with my hubby and 3 kids. Mother's Day is always Youth Sunday and the youth do the whole service. It is one of my favorites.

Mother's Day was a challenge for me this year. My mom died in March of this year. (I had been caring for her in my home for 4 years, and many years before that when she lived by herself. I was an only child, so I had all the responsibility on me.) I planned a busy day for Mother's Day, which was helpful, and several good friends called or sent cards, which I was very grateful for.
Because I had been caregiving for sooo long, it feels very weird now. It's almost like my child died. I definitely am "out of a job", as I've heard other caregivers say when their parent(s) have died. There is the whole "orphan" feeling, too, because both of my parents are gone now.
Soemtimes I feel like I have been through the "war", and survived it. I feel like I could write a book on caregiving! I know it takes a long
time to heal, and I am definitely on that road. The thoughts and prayers of my close friends have definitely been healing.

Our situation is different -- but the emotions you're experiencing are very familiar.

I wasn't expecting to have to start all over at my age. Every morning I wake up and for the first few moments I have to remind myself that I don't have to go check on my son. I find myself adding items to my grocery cart that I don't need to buy anymore. I pass a store with a "sale" on Marlboro cigs and I start to turn in -- and then I remember that he's not here to smoke them anymore.

Keeping busy is all you CAN do -- time passes more quickly that way -- but sometimes -- like this afternoon -- while sitting at a traffic light -- it hits me -- and I get angry that I HAVE to keep so busy -- because he's not here anymore -- and the emptiness sweeps through me with a ghostly chill. But, when the traffic light changes -- you have to move on -- so that's what I do.

Maybe you SHOULD write a book about your experiences. It's great therapy -- and you will, most likely, help someone else get through a similar situation by reading your thoughts.

Life sure can throw you some wicked curves can't it