Mother's Day

This was my first Mother's Day.  All five generations of my family together.  Little Will makes generation #5.  To think just one year ago I didn't know if this would ever happen.  Ever.  A year ago, I had just started the IVF process, I was starting the birth control cycle and my shipment of IVF meds had arrived and filled my table.  A year ago I knew our chances, I knew the horrible stories of failed IVF cycles, I knew of ectopic pregnancies, I knew of poor egg quality and low sperm counts, I knew of insurance max limits, and I knew of researching adoption or embracing living as a couple.  I knew our chances. 

So Mother's Day will always hold a special place in my heart.  Because I know not everyone celebrates Mother's Day as a mother.  Not because they didn't want to, but because they never got their chance to.  So when I celebrate the day, I don't take a single breath of it for granted.  Maybe that's different than how someone else may see this holiday, or maybe it's the same.  I'm sure there are a lot of very good mothers out there who never had to worry about their chances, who never had the thought "I may never have my own child.  Mother's Day will always be painful for me.  I'm not going to get out from under the covers that day."  I would imagine that they go through Mothers Day a little different than those who have been in that dark place.  You never know what you have until it's gone or when you never even had the chance. 

It's taken me awhile to get this out into the blogosphere....out of my head.  I know it has the chance to upset some mothers out there.  Upsetting others is not my intent, helping make others aware is.  There are great mothers out there who didn't have to examine their chances or face tough realities.  They understand that being a mother on Mother's Day isn't something to take for granted.  They love on their babies with this thought in the back of their mind everyday.  My intent is that everyone understands the chance that they have been given and to not take a single day for granted, whether its Mother's Day or not.