Mother's Day 2013
Neither words nor pictures (thanks Hallmark) can avoid feeling over-wrought on Mother's Day. The impulse to try to say something on that one day that might capture all that our mother's mean to us is, frankly, both doomed to fail and, too often, a reminder of all the ways we could've done more to show our moms how much they mean to us on the other 364 days again this year.

My Mom & Dad joined us for a trip to Ireland and, in the restaurant on top of the Guiness Brewery in Dublin, posed with my Guiness!  This is one of my all-time favorite pictures, because Mom does not drink and does laugh like no other.  No one I know is more serious about trying to be the best person she can be (Dad is a close second, but this is Mother's Day) and yet Mom is always ready to laugh, including laughing at herself.  I love that.

Lori came up from Florida and Tom had us all to his place in NYC for Thanksgiving this past year.  Ray and Amanda brought Cecelia and Colton to spend some time with their 'big cousins' Brian and Casey.  Found some amazing dumplings in Chinatown, a short walk over the bridge from their apartment.  Annie was totally cool as a city dog.

This is one of my favorite pictures of both of my parents.  They look so completely happy and content and at ease and satisfied.  Perfect.

These two make each other, and the rest of us, laugh in the most life-affirming ways.  In both of these pictures, you can see it on their faces. 

And no mother's day reflections would be complete without a shout out to Julie.  She showed me, from the other side of the parent-sibling relationship, and in her relationship with me, how to love.  After my own mother and father, I have never seen anyone so consistently and thoughtfully put her children first in all ways, at all times, cheerfully and because her love is that deep.