Mother's Day

Apparently one is not supposed to move an entire gazebo by oneself.

I seemed to have had to learn this the hard way. It's always the grasp of the obvious that I have had a problem with.

I woke up Sunday morning, still propped in my chair with eleventy hundred pillows cradling my aching lower vertebrae, to find that no matter what my brain was telling my body, my body was not at all okay in me actually getting up out of the chair.

Mother's Day is never a big deal to me. I don't expect anything but the wonderful hand made gifts from the girls, usually cereal or Eggo toaster waffles with a glass of juice filled aaaaallllll the way to the top. It is fantastic and it is all I want or need.

But throw back pain into the mix and I obviously become a cross between Mommie Dearest and the dying Sally Field in that one movie I can't remember the name of.

The girls' Dad, John, showed up like he does every Sunday and completely ignored me. When he asked what to pick up at the grocery store I sniffled, wiped my moist eyes and then yelled, "Tylenol goddamit!"

Ah yes, I was a peach.

Later in the morning, Natalie (my neighbor and also one of the best people on earth) came traipsing through my front yard with a tray of breakfast goodness. In a beautiful array there was scrambled eggs, a croissant, orange juice, coffee in Natalie's favorite frosted Elvis coffee cup, and a tulip standing perkily in a bottle of Evian.

The eggs and croissant were nestled under a plastic dollar store plate cover....and it made me bawl like a baby.

I think I said something like, "Oh! ohmygoshthankyou. It's just....beautiful...(sniffle...snort...) I'M JUST KIND OF HAVING A BAD DAY AND MY BACK REALLY HURTS (Wail.....)"

And she just looked at me and smiled and said, "Oh, that's terrible!" And hugged me and then distracted me appropriately. And did I mention that she is wonderful?

My best friend in the entire world then drove up in her adorable white VW bug and surprised me with flowers and fancy soap and the gift of her company. And I suck because I was out of it with pain and post-crying and I didn't have anything for either one of these people and MY BACK REALLY HURT....

And then Siera came by with a gift and three roses before she even went to her own Mother's house. She sat down with me and did something that people rarely do - she told me how much I meant to her and that she loved me.....and I cried (because my back really hurt).

Good God.

It was ridiculous. The emotion! I am not at all used to being like that. And I definitely don't want to make a habit of it. It is completely exhausting.

And my back really hurt. But my heart felt really, really good.