Thankful MOM-ents
Several months ago, I read a quote from Katie Couric that I haven't been able to get off my mind. She said, “I would tell my younger self— something that I think I did, but you can probably never do enough — to really appreciate the very sweet spot in your life when your children are young and your parents are healthy." My goodness, how eye-opening is that? It's not always easy to appreciate the present for the gift that it is and to keep in mind that I am living "the days" of what I'll later look back longingly at and sigh, "ahhh, those were the days." My parents and my in-laws are all, Thank G-d, in great health. The stresses we have day-to-day as busy parents to young kids in NYC are so real, but they are what I now refer to as "blessed stress." Trying to keep the "blessed" part of that in perspective when your husband who is in the thick of his residency has worked 6 out of the last 8 weekends, your kids decide to boycott baths and bedtime, and you have a foot injury that has left you limping around for weeks is the trick. Gratitude is a choice, but realistically speaking, it's not always at the forefront of our minds to count our blessings when we get annoyed with small daily struggles. Passover has just ended and my family has returned from a week where we spent three days of quality time with my in-laws at their house, followed by four days with my parents in Florida. My kids were in heaven with so much attention from their grandparents. I told Ira "I think this was the best week of my life." He told me I was being dramatic, but then I mentioned Katie's quote and it caused him to pause and reconsider. He agreed that we are really living in that "sweet spot" of life.
I am so fortunate to be taking part in a Mother's Day campaign with Teri Jon and Nina Shoes, whose gorgeous designs are featured in these photos. When they interviewed me about my relationship with my own mom and my experience with motherhood (which you can see here), I couldn't help but think about Katie Couric's quote and it triggered so many emotions. They asked me if there was one thing I wanted to thank my mom for that I've never told her, what would it be? Just hearing the question made me cry, but why? Of course there are a million things I should thank her for and never properly have--all the years of home-cooked dinners, the often hard-to-hear advice ("Lizzy, never do anything you wouldn't want on the front page of the New York Times!"), dropping everything to be there for me when I need her (flying in from Texas within 24 hours of my call to move me mid-first semester freshman year of college when I had roommate troubles and again coming to my rescue last month when my nanny left me without warning), and overall--her constant, unconditional, unwavering support and love.
Having the consciousness to say "thank you" and show gratitude is so important, but for some reason, it's not always easy. I may just be speaking for myself, but I know I tend to take my own mother for granted at times, which is terrible, but it's also natural--she's the only mom I've ever known. As I've gotten older, and especially now that I am a mother myself, I realize how incredible my mom is and my appreciation for her has increased exponentially. It's the hardest job in the world and in my book, nobody could do it better. I am working on savoring these "mom"ents as much as possible. I am trying to be cognizant of all the pure goodness in the midst of the chaos. And mostly, I want to make it a priority to express gratitude and not take my blessings for granted. So mom, thank you. Thank you for setting the best example there could ever be.
In Partnership with Teri Jon and Nina Shoes
Photography by Edelle Kenny
