Happy Mother's Day X2

My Mom, Meg and the girls on a Mother's Day picnic at Twin Pines Park

I think Hallmark can get carried away with all the various occasions it promotes to sell cards. Do people really send St. Patrick's Day cards? When was the last time you sent a Secretary Day card to someone? But Mother's Day, that's a day I understand. In fact, I think it's even more important than birthdays. Without Mother's Day, I wouldn't have a birthday to celebrate in the first place.

In many households (including mine), it's the mother who has the lioness' share of work when it comes to raising children - and it is a lot of work. Given the amount of effort and the tedium that can creep in from the inherently repetitive tasks involved with parenting, mothers deserve a lot credit for all they do. Now that I'm a parent, I have a deeper understanding and respect for the sacrifices that my mother made for me and my brother. I'm lucky to have had someone who supported me in all my dreams, and stayed up late to help me finish school projects that I had procrastinated on.

I'm also lucky to have a beautiful wife who is a beautiful mother to my two beautiful daughters. I lucked out having two exceptional mothers in my life, and my life is better for it.