;)
May 7th, 2021
Nope, it’s not a typo. It’s those three words that appear on my favorite Mother’s Day gift of all time. It’s a gift that signified to me everything my family is and what I am as a mother -- flawed but trying our best.
Let me back up a bit. As my two older children, ages 20 and 21, have become old enough to purchase gifts on their own, I have been pleasantly surprised, and super proud, of their thoughtful gift giving choices. After all, great gift giving really does require empathy and who doesn’t want empathetic kids? My daughter, for example, recalled me telling her a story about when I was five years old, how my mother had accidentally donated my favorite baby doll to Goodwill. I told her how I cried my little girl eyes out over the entire ordeal and, quite frankly, it may have scarred me for life because I remember it clearly to this very day! Not long after, I opened a gift bag on my birthday and pulled out the baby doll that was exactly like the one my mother had donated. Turns out, my daughter went on a popular auction website and purchased the vintage doll for me.
My son, not to be outdone by his sister, gave me a framed custom-made wall hanging for Christmas that displayed the birthdates of he and his siblings with the caption “What a difference a day makes!” written underneath. Another gift that brought tears to my eyes for sure!
So, when I was trying to think of the perfect gift for my own mother for Mother’s Day this year, I thought about the best gift I ever received from my own children. It was a ring they had purchased for me two years ago that had all three of their birthstones on it. A ring that I still wear every day. It didn’t come from a jewelry store but instead it was an online order so it couldn’t be returned. The best part about the ring was that it was flawed. When I opened it, I looked at the engraving on the inside of the ring that stated “Appy Mother’s Day 2019.” My kids saw it as a defect, and they were a little disappointed with their purchase. I loved it more than a 3-carat diamond ring!!
Now I’m not gonna lie, we did get a huge laugh out of it, but for me it was the absolute most perfect gift. It seemed to be the epitome of our family -- flawed, funny and thoughtful. We try our best but sometimes we come up short and that’s OK. Maybe I need to consult with my children this year before buying any more gifts.
Appy Mother’s Day to all of us diamonds in the rough!
