The Best Mother’s Day Present Ever

(c) Tracey Thompson 2008

I had to share this picture.  This week, I was finally able to get my oldest in the kitchen.  I have made several attempts but received a little reinforcement this day.  I have two boys with autism and often the simple things, that many people take for granted, mean the world to us.  He is standing next to one of his therapists.  I think he has a little crush on her, so it made this task easier.  He made pizza for the family and discovered the joy of cooking…getting to eat as you create.  I think for every pepperoni on the pizza he ate two.  The best part is that we all had fun and he was proud of himself.

(c) Tracey Thompson 2008 

Every day I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am.  I owe it all to 2 little guys who are the best part of my life.  I never have any problem thinking up items my husband can purchase on behalf of my boys.  But as my boys get older I learn more and more that what  I want most is just time with my family.

One of the most poignant moments in my life was sitting with my grandma in a bowling alley.  She was beginning to have a hard time getting around, had her legs propped up and was sitting next to me.  Her 5 children were playing a few lively rounds, laughing and joking.  My grandma turned to me and said, “My kids always ask me what they could get me, but the best present in the world is seeing them all happy and spending time together.  Today, right here, watching them is the best gift.”

That moment has always stayed with me.  A moment before my own husband and children.  A moment before I understood who I was.  A moment which I thought was sweet, but never truly understood until the day I held my first child in my arms.  The “things” I cherish the most are the times with my family.  Each smile, each laugh is one of life’s most precious gifts.

The brightest part of my days are when I feel that little hand grabbing mine, when I go to school and my youngest catches my eye and runs into my arms, watching my boy for the first time make a pizza, the moments watching the boys giggling and chasing each other on the trampoline.  Each morning I wake-up is a beautiful gift.

My boys have given me the gift of unconditional love.  They have made me become a better person, helped me become my best self and helped me understand the “meaning” of life.

To all the mom’s out there, have a beautiful Mother’s Day and may each day bring to you life’s most precious gifts.