One of My Most Memorable Mother's Day Presents

My older 3 boys bought me this card for Mother's day, gosh, I'd say like 20 years ago. I should have put a date on it. There is a sweet story behind this card and one that I will cherish forever.

My ex-husband was terrible about remembering Mother's Day, my birthday, Valentines Day, actually, he pretty much forgot any "day" that was suppose to be special for me. He had excuses like the classic, "Your not my mother" or "I forgot" or "the kids should have got you something, you're their mom". As he got better he would hand me a card while we were in the store and say "read this". I would read it and then he would say something like, "now you've read the card that I would have bought you for Mother's Day, so now I don't have to buy it". Anyway, it honestly was not the getting of a gift or a card that upset me so much, it was the fact that he wouldn't take the time to think of me. I spent many Mother's Days, birthdays and Valentines Days crying non stop. (I used to be one of those people that once I start crying I will go on and on all day long) My boys always felt bad, but it wasn't there fault.

Okay, finally to the sweet part. When my boys were probably 8, 9 and 11, give or take a year or two, they bought me this card with their "own money" and not only did they give me this beautiful card, but they told me this was the house they would buy for me someday. (I have always dreamed of having a house like this with a big porch) I have had this card in my china cabinet for around 20 years now and it is as special to me now as it was then. Even if my ex didn't get the point of Mother's Day at 30 years old I knew my boys did by the time they were 10. It isn't the gift that matters, it's the love and the thoughtfulness that my boys put into buying this card for me. It's the fact that they thought of me and told me how much they loved me. That is all I ever wanted.

So 20 years later, my ex always takes his new wife, of which he has no children with, out for a Mother's Day steak dinner and buys her an expensive gift. I don't know, maybe he's grateful she couldn't have any of his kids and that's why he goes all out on her. Maybe he grew up? Yeah, actually he has grown up a lot. My boys, as far as I know, for the most part are thoughtful to their wives and girlfriends and my daughter and her boyfriend are thoughtful with each other too. You know, the funny thing about my kids is if you ask them if they won the lottery or came into a huge amount of money what they would do with the money, the (the five older kids) first thing they say is "buy a house for momma" and then they list all their own personal items. I thank God for blessing me with 8 wonderful children. I love all of you, Jeremy, Chad, Jesse, Daniel, Alexis, Ezie, Mallory and Jace.