New England Mamas: I Know How Lucky I Am.

I had planned to pull together a post about all the stuff that happens to a woman when she starts a family in honor of Mother's Day. I had a few cute stories to relate and a couple poignant thoughts to share about the different ways women make their journeys to motherhood. I even planned to include an ode to my own mom, a stellar example of motherhood.

But guess what?

I never got the chance to write that particular post, because motherhood got in the way.

Earlier in the day, Dr. V. took the kids for a walk around the bog that backs up to our neighborhood, and when they got back, I did a quick tick check on the kids. Anyone who has read my blog this spring may remember the Great Infestation of 2008, in which this author bravely battled the lice brigade that had taken up residence on her child's head. I'll give you one guess what I found in her hair!

How does this happen? Friday, I braided her hair and saw nothing, and yet today - aaargh! Creepy crawlies on mah preshus baybee!

I took it a little personally, that my "special" day of lazing around and reading blogs and playing with the kids was now going to be superseded by hours of combing and crying and loads of laundry. I sent my husband off to the store to pick up more lice shampoo, and when he came back I started working on my daughter's hair.

It only took a few words from him to make me feel like the luckiest mom on the planet. A little background is necessary to understand what caused it. My husband is very careful not to share any personal information about his patients, even with me. I understand, and I respect their privacy as well, so I try not to ask about specific patients even when I can tell something is bugging him.

Last fall, he had a particularly bad week and he confided in me that he had a patient that was really getting to him. She was a woman my age, with two kids, a wonderful husband, and terminal cancer. He said it was very hard for him to see her sometimes, because she looked and talked a bit like me, and their kids were the same age as ours, and as it happens, they live on the other side of the pond that backs up to our neighborhood.

So, fast forward to this afternoon, as I was settling down to my glamorous afternoon and evening of lice removal. As the sun began to set over the pond and the light turned pink, I said to him, "Look at the sunset. Pretty, huh?" He looked over at the pond, and then said, "Remember that patient of mine who lived across the pond? She died a couple weeks ago. I just ran into her husband and kids at Stop & Shop."

I'm not sure what else to say in this post, except that I'm incredibly blessed.

We are all blessed, all of us mothers, and our children are lucky to have us, and we them.

Happy Mother's Day, everyone.