A Happy Mother

On this Mother’s Day, this mother is complete.  She needs nothing more.

Wait a minute.  Did I just say that?  Can I really be Jewish, and say something like that??

If you don’t know the culture well enough to know that “happy” and “mother” do NOT go together, perhaps this might give you some idea:  The other day a dear friend and I practically split a gut laughing about my friend’s idea for a bumper sticker – hope she doesn’t mind my appropriating her brilliance here, and she’s not even Jewish – it goes:

“Think you’re having a good day?  It’s not as good as it could have been.”

But it’s true and I’m not ashamed to admit it.  I’m a Jewish mother AND I’m happy.  Here’s what gives, with the disconcerting happy:

Kids who play freely and well.  The housework can go hang.

One kid who’s growing more and more capable of gentleness and delicacy and nobility.

One kid who’s still curious as heck, and so cute with it all.

Two kids who are smart enough and generous enough to learn to coexist (ridden-herd-over watched-over by Ma and also the little sculpture-guardian over there at the right).  Those who’ve been following the Battle of The Beds lately, you can share in a mother’s “kvell” at this one.  And if you don’t know from “kvell,” look it up in the Yinglish Dictionary and also enjoy the joke – and check out “nachas” too, be sure to listen to that one, all here.

The unutterable sweetness of a sleeping baby –

And of a tired baby who won’t go to sleep because he’s afraid he’ll miss something –

– and who falls out anyway in the end.

Happy Mother’s Day.  To all moms of all kinds.