The Best Mother’s Day Present Ever

What gift did I receive for Mother’s Day?

A bouquet of flowers?  A card from my children?  A day of being served by my family?  A sweet treat?

Yes, to each of these.

But none of them happened in the way that I had planned.  Maybe that’s the best way.  Or maybe it’s just what I needed.

God likes to catch us off guard and remind us, once again, that we are not in charge.

Here are a few snapshots of my unexpected Mother’s Day gifts.  (Hint:  You’ll want to read to the end–)

The Bouquet of Flowers

As I got into the car to go to church today (Mother’s Day), frazzled and with hair still wet (we were late, yet again), my sons presented me with a small handful of wild flowers from the backyard.  I was tempted to be really disappointed and call them weeds (at least in my mind) since I’d spent my morning the previous day pulling them out of our backyard, but I somehow managed to say “thank you” in my chaotic state and place them on the dashboard.

I planned to bring them into the house after church and put them in a vase.

Alas, the sun was too much for them and when we got back into the car after church, they were already completely dried.

I now know the most frugal means for drying your own flowers:

1. Pick flowers
2. Place on car dashboard
3. Park car in sunny spot 🙂

Thankfully, both boys gladly picked more for me after we got home:

The card

I really hoped that my husband would have cards ready-made by him and the boys.  But planning holidays is not my husband’s forte (though he has many other strengths).  Thankfully, something went awry in the planning for my oldest’s Sunday School class, so instead of their usual lesson, they made Mother’s Day cards.  And my youngest decided that he had to make one as well:

The Day of Being Served

Not that it really matters how one gets served, but I sure wasn’t the mom sitting on the sofa with her feet up while my family pampered me.  (Do I sound selfish yet?)  What really happened is that I was in the kitchen most of the day cooking and cleaning up while the “men” did some cleaning and putting away.  So it really was more of a loooooong family clean up.  Ah well — at least some things got done.

So what was I cooking and cleaning up all day in the kitchen?  Well, that leads me to the last–and best–Mother’s Day Present Ever.

What about the sweet treat, you ask?

In fact, there were two sweet treats.  I spent the afternoon making gluten-free pancakes to wrap around hot dogs (sort of faux pigs-in-a-blanket) and a gluten-free, sugar-free, dairy-free gingerbread cake.  But the reason for the cake wasn’t Mother’s Day….

The Best Mother’s Day Present Ever

A number of years ago I was told that my having more children might not happen.  For various reasons.  I was given medical advice that I didn’t feel that I should follow — again, for various reasons.  So we waited.

And something glorious happened.

On Mother’s Day, years ago, my monthly cycle returned.

On Mother’s Day, years ago, my youngest son was born.

So yesterday, on Mother’s Day, we celebrated The Best Mother’s Day Present Ever.

I guess I have a lot of learning to do.

If you’re looking for more traditional Mother’s Day Gifts, see my post on 30 Homemade Mother’s Day Gifts,

I hope that you have a blessed Mother’s Day — whatever God brings your way.

{Top Photo Credit}