Mother's Day 2021

Mother's Day 2021 was AMAZING.  Once again, we went to our favorite restaurant, the Hopkins Inn, to enjoy a yummy dinner overlooking Lake Waramaug.

After skipping our Mother's Day tradition in 2020, it was refreshing to come back to the same restaurant (2 years later) and feel like nothing had changed.  The menu was the same, the ambiance was the same, and the food was just as delicious as we had remembered.  (I had a Prime Rib Steak entre, and for dessert, I had a crepe filled with ice cream and covered in Toblerone Swiss Chocolate drizzle.  My mom had Wienerschnitzel, which come to find out, is an Austrian dish my mom's grandmother used to make her when she was little.  Dessert for her was her favorite--warm apple pie.)

After a fabulous dinner, we continued our tradition by taking some photos with the lake, the inn, and the vineyard in the background.  The day was a little chilly for eating outside, but it was perfect for pictures.  After we pulled out of the parking lot, however, the skies opened up, and it began to rain for a short while.

This last photo of Lewie and my mom is my FAVORITE.  They look so HAPPY, and to me, it's symbolic of all the blessings this year's Mother's Day has given me.  For one, I was able to spend a beautiful day with my mom.  (Earlier this year, my mom's stomach was bothering her, which meant she needed to be scheduled for a slew of tests.  Memories of my Aunty Kiki's Cancer diagnosis loomed in the background as I prayed almost nightly that my mom wouldn't get the same diagnosis just months after Aunty Kiki's death.  Thankfully, not only did all her tests come back negative, but one of her doctor's said she was in good health for her age.)

The next blessing was that my mom felt great on Mother's Day.  While her stomach still bothers her from time to time, it didn't on this day.  She was able to eat and enjoy a full meal while asking for dessert and coffee.  (The dinner was a "treat" from me, so I wanted to be sure she was enjoying herself.)

Finally, I felt blessed to spend the day with my son and hubby, too.  My son, of course, teaches me everyday what it means to be a mom, and I couldn't be more proud of this amazing kid with such a big heart.  For me, playing the role of "mom" for the last twelve years is what defines me, completes me, and gives me purpose.  It is the most important role I will ever play in my life, and it gives me great joy to watch my son grow up at every stage.  My mom once told me that she couldn't pick a favorite year of my life because watching me grow up every year brought joy and amazement.  When she first told me this, I wasn't sure if I believed her; today, now, I understand exactly what she means.

Mother's Day 2021 will go down in my "history book" as a day of unbelievable blessings.  After a tough, sad, and anxiety ridden 2020, I wasn't sure if 2021 could ever bring us back to the same level of comfort and joy we once had before the pandemic.  Would we ever be able to eat in a crowded restaurant and feel safe again?  Would we ever be able to enjoy a holiday after losing both my mother-in-law and aunt to Cancer last year?  The simple, but powerful answer, is "Yes."  There is life after 2020; however, the learning lesson from this past year is that we should never take our lives or the lives of our loved ones for granted, EVER.  I'm hanging on to every moment I can spend with this amazing trio.