By Greg
Every year as May approaches things get a bit condensed. With Grayson and Laura’s birthday only two days apart, and Mother’s Day falling on or near one of those birthdays, the month can be very intense family time. It is a lot of work, but we all enjoy all of the celebration and traditions—especially the cakes.
As you all may know by know, Laura is a very busy person. If you look at the “by line” on all the articles on the Family Eats site, they read “by Laura Everage”. She accomplishes all of this work on top of the book she is writing, articles that she is commissioned to write on a variety of topics for the Gourmet industry and, oh yeah, and takes care of our family of six. She is one of the most disciplined individuals I have ever known. She has a list and a schedule and she amazingly sticks to them, which makes our house run like a well-oiled machine.
This brings me to our family tradition when it comes to Mother’s Day. Traditionally I try to let Laura a have the day, to give here the freedom from some of those daily tasks. From keeping the kids busy and out of her hair to cooking all the meals and working with the kids in making Mommy’s Mother Day cards and presents, I try to take on the whole load of the day.
Usually with the coming of May, Northern California is showing its spring colors and lapping up the clear and warm sunshine. So we always try to schedule some type of outing for Mother’s Day where we can enjoy this lovely time of the year as a family . We pack a picnic basket for our lunch and head to an outdoor setting that has plenty of room for the kids to run and enjoy themselves. My biggest challenge though, is helping Laura empty her mind and relax. I think most Moms experience this, because they spend the majority of their time keeping all the balls in the air, creating a natural state of “keeping on task.”
And, to try, in one day, to help them shed the little voice that is constantly making Mom’s aware of the number of items that need to be accomplished can be hard to do. All the items to be marked of the list in a flurry of multitasking, is asking a lot of not only the Mom, but of the significant other, who wants to make this a truly special, relaxing and memorable day. Yes there are the spa treatments, massages, hair and pedicure appointments, but hopefully those womanly tasks happen regularly through out the year. Plus, Laura likes to enjoy our family on Mother’s Day. She likes to bask in all that is our family and what makes her a Mother.
So, what I have learned over the years, and what has become a tradition in our family, is not to wait until Mother’s Day to show Laura how much we love and appreciate her and understand all that she does. Yes, we mark the event with gifts, hugs, love and appreciation. But it is truly impossible in one day, to show all of the appreciation that should be given to Mom’s for all that they do. In our home, we strive to show affection, appreciation, love, and respect towards Laura daily. Now, it might not always come off that way, but we try hard to make sure she knows. So, when Mother’s Day rolls around each year and Laura is taking deep breaths trying to let go of everything for even the one day, I know that she understands that she is the most important person in all of our lives and we all love her deeply and could never have our wonderful family without her.
Happy Mother’s Day, Laura. We love you.
Oh, I forgot to ask, what kind of cake would you like?
