Tag: mother's day

I’m going to put it bluntly. Being a child of divorce is difficult. There are many wonderful things that stepparents bring into our lives and more often than not we’re glad that our parents are separated. The dynamics of building a new family, however, are challenging. Consider that 1 in 4 marriages involve a remarriage and you’ll realize just how many stepparents there are. Although there are many books and resources available for new stepparents, I’ve found very limited resources for teenagers and adult children.

Are you one of those women who have always dreamed of the perfect Mother’s Day, while each year is sorely disappointing? Instead of blaming your husband and family for not taking the lead, be gently proactive and call the shots yourself this year.

It’s important to remember that husbands (and children) cannot read your mind without a few subtle hints. Many moms don’t care what the day brings as long as her family remembers. Others may have a very specific idea in mind.

When you get married, it’s natural and expected that you and your spouse will focus more on each other than you do on your respective families. However, there are some occasions when it’s important to devote the first fruits of your time and energy to maintaining and strengthening your relationship with the people who raised you. Mother’s Day is definitely one of those times.

What are your plans? Are you going to send some flowers or a card, chat with your mom on the phone and congratulate yourself on doing your duty as a child?

Spring comes around the corner bringing a bounty of flowers and gentle breezes filled with the sweet music of birds. Husbands and wives can take deep breaths of relief knowing that the taxing, expensive holidays are behind them (or yet to come). This makes room for some of the gentler, more introspective celebrations of life.

As we enter the month of May, the idea of cherishing those important maternal figures in our lives comes into focus. Mother’s Day offers the opportunity to show how much they are appreciated. Whether or not you have children, Mother’s Day allows each one of us to turn special attention to the mothers and mother-figures in our lives.

When I was 7 years old, I went to summer camp. It was only for a week and it should have been fun, but ended up being one of the most traumatic experiences of my life because I missed my family dearly. My homesickness was so intense that I cried constantly—walking to the lunchroom between activities, before going to bed—and I look back now and wonder how in the world no one took pity on me.

During that week-that-felt-like-a-year, the only bright spot of each day was after lunch when we’d stand around in a circle for mail delivery. My parents wrote me religiously