Mother’s Day this weekend.  Cards, brunches, flowers and traditions celebrating mom’s.  An opportunity to stop and be grateful.

My mother passed two years after my 16 year old son, Tyler, died a preventable death on People to People trip to Japan.  I won’t be buying flowers, cards or taking her to lunch or a massage. I will be celebrating her life. She’s proud of me.  I can feel it.

I am the mother of two beautiful boys.  My youngest is now seventeen. I am finally the mother of a 17 year old.  He celebrates his grandmother and brother with his passion for life and character.  SO very proud he chose me.  He’ll be off to college soon.  My  husband, my two boys and five exchange students began a tradition of planting a mother’s day garden at the end of our driveway with “LOVE YOU MOM” homemade signage.  I cherish my mother’s day garden all season.

The last mother’s day that my son Tyler spent with me, he said he planted a perennial because when he was away at college he wanted to know that there would always be love from him in my ‘Momsy Garden’.  I cherish his perennial, a Russian Sage.  My son gave me the gift of Wisdom – Sage.  Feel the eternal love!

Mother’s day is bittersweet for me, as a mother of a child who has died and whose mother is deceased , its a reminder – they are missing.  I am surrounded by compassionate and loving friends and family who remember and aren’t afraid to say their names or wish me a Happy Mother’s Day.  I am grateful.

I celebrate Mother’s Day. Love holds strong and is timeless.  I might plant a tree, love a teen who needs a mom or a lonely elder.  I will light a candle, take a luxious bath and nourish my soul.  I vow to live an abundant life and be the best mom possible to my youngest.

Celebrate the time you have together and honor your children and mother.  Love never dies.

Grateful to LearnVest – where life gets richer for sharing my favorite Mother’s Day memory.   And