Sweet Surprises, Sad Goodbyes

Mother’s Day 2009. A day full of sweet surprises. The treasures came in many forms (some material, some not) and they came in increments throughout the day.

When I stepped out of the shower, I was greeted by my two adorable kiddos who had already gotten dressed and finished all of their chores. No nagging or reminding. The jobs were already finished. As any mother will attest, that is an awesome surprise!

Then came the handmade presents (and of course, my tears): a list of my better attributes by Maddie and a poem by Caleb.  Also two presents from the dollar store. Rick started this tradition with the kids years ago and it’s become a special time for the three of them to go out each May and pick something for Mom. Perhaps the greatest present, though, was the joy on their faces when they came before me with their goodies. Pure delight in giving.

Then there were the kindhearted hugs throughout the day. The “Happy Mother’s Day!” sentiments from the men at church. The affirmation and recognition from my pastor husband to all the moms in our precious congregation. The simple pleasure of sitting on the sidelines to watch my son play soccer that afternoon and cheering him on. The thoughtful Chinese take-out so that I could have a break from cooking. The new Cricut from Rick who supports and encourages my loves. The phone call to my own mom. It was a day filled with sweet surprises.

Perhaps the sweetest surprise of all came in the most unusual form. It was the moment we realized our dog was dying. Tucker was our 13-year-old Chocolate Lab. He’d been with us through the majority of our marriage, including one cross-state move and the birth of two kids. He’d logged hundreds of walking miles with us, been in all of our family photos, slept in our beds, and happily endured the tugs and pulls of young kids loving a dog. He was dear to us. But, he was also getting old. Until this weekend, he was still doing OK for an old dog – a little lumpy and limpy but enjoying life. On Saturday night, however, he took a turn for the worse and never recovered.

The sweet surprise that happened in the midst of that sad “goodbye” was sitting in the yard with the kids, helping them grieve. I had my own grieving to do, but in this moment I was helping them navigate their emotions. Rubbing their backs as they scritched Tucker. Whispering words of affirmation and encouragement as they offered a “good boy” to their dying dog. Crying over them as they cried over a companion and friend. I was…well, being a mom. I was nurturing my kids and, in the process, our hearts were being knit together in deeper ways. What a sweet surprise.

How good of God to turn our sorrow into joy and give us such a wide range of emotions to share with the ones we love so very much. Mothering takes us right into those emotions and gives us a beautiful opportunity to nurture and shape right in the midst of the most tender of moments. It’s not what I would have planned for my Mother’s Day…but, what a sweet surprise.