My older kids live out of state, and my teenage son won't be back from his cousin's until this afternoon, and my own mother passed away several years ago. So for the first time in almost 30 years, I'm sitting alone here this Mother's Day morning and won't have a child next to me in church today.Having this solitary time got me thinking about other women I know who aren't birth mothers or adoptive mothers, and are home without children but are mothers just the same. One example is my best friend. Jane never had children of her own, either by birth or adopted, and yet she has more than I could ever dream of. She's the principal of a school for cognitively and physically impaired young adults, and these children of hers are always on her mind. Jane is one of those educators who is passionate about what she does, always trying to make things better, dreaming about future endeavors with her students and the community, giving support and motivation to all her teachers, and hugs and attention to the students as she walks down the hallway. Her life's passion is wrapped up in the 100 plus "children" that belong to other mothers.
And so today, I'm celebrating all mothers. Those who have kids of their own, and those whose lives are passionately dedicated to children, including my daughter Kelly, who brings such joy, life and creativity to teaching a classroom of fifth graders and tutoring children after school. Happy Mother's Day to you all.
