Happy Mother’s Day!  For my family, the dates between May 10th and May 16th every year mark some of our happiest dates.  They include my daughter’s birthday, my mother’s birthday, my grandmother’s birthday, and of course, Mother’s Day.  We have had many years of wonderful celebrations, including lots of birthday cakes, Mother’s Day lunches, wearing roses to church to honor our mothers, and piles of presents. Do you remember the first gift you gave your mother and paid for with your allowance?  I do.   As my grandmother, mother, and aunt have aged, their answer to the question, “What would you like for Mother’s Day?” have changed a bit.  Now, my aunt would say, “Let’s just get together. No presents except sharing time.”  My grandmother might have said something like, “No dustcatchers.” She meant no gifts that would have to be cleaned and dusted later.

This week I’ve had the opportunity to work with several families to compose wills, health care advance directives, and other power of attorney documents.  When the documents were complete, in each case,  the daughter or the mother, or both of them, looked at me and said, “Thank you. This is a wonderful gift for Mother’s Day.  We can relax knowing that this is taken care of.”  I’m glad to know that their families will be having joyous Mother’s Day celebrations, just like my family will.

Happy Mother’s Day!