This
post has re-written itself since I started working on it a few hours
ago. Cadence was with her Dad this weekend. I knew I would see her at
some point, but wasn't sure when. I went to church, had lunch with a
friend, and scheduled a much-needed massage to help fill the
afternoon. My writing was delightfully interrupted when Cadence rang
my doorbell. When I greeted her at the door, her hands were full of
miscellaneous mother's day gifts: brown paper bags of DQ ice cream, a
card, and a canvas.
We
hugged and then she showered me with her gifts. “Wait there's
more.” Cadence opened her teal purse and presented an opened bag of
Jolly Ranchers. “I thought we could share these.”
Months
ago at a friend's birthday party she painted a “camo deer head”
on canvas and planned to present it to me today. “I know it's not
really your style, but I thought the colors fit in with what you want
to paint your bedroom.” She is exactly right.
She
wrote the following note in my handpicked card: “Dear Mommy, I love
you! Hopefully you like the dairy queen ice cream. Happy Mother's
Day! Your the Best Mommy in the whole world. How was church today?
The Cardinals game was so fun! You are so supportive! I love you!
Have a good day! Xoxo Love, Cadence your daughter PS: your the best! (I'm a fan of all her exclamation points and her use of the word supportive.)
Today
has exceeded my expectations. I am so determined to make the best of
situations like today when I didn't know how much time I'd get to
spend with Cadence. These days always go better than I anticipate.
The lead-up is usually fraught with more angst than the day itself.
Being
newly single also reinforces new perspectives like: Mother's and
Father's Days can be hard on single parents when their children
aren't old enough to initiate gift-giving or some sort of observance.
I do not for a minute take for granted that our dual household is
functional. We co-parent well. I know this is not the case for many
divorced families, and I am grateful that it is for us.
I am a broken record on this blog: I marvel at how much Cadence and I are thriving in this new life. It takes hard work, and some days are harder than others, but it is worth all of the effort. I am one lucky woman.
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| With my Cady-did |
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| My new artwork - more inspiration for my writing desk |
Julie,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you had a sweet Mother's Day -- that it exceeded your expectations for this new phase of life you are in. You daughter's artwork is great! And I love the picture of you, two. Praying God's blessings on your life as you continue to adjust to your new normal! ((Hugs))
What a sweetie! And you are right... of course, because you are learning firsthand - but single parents are amazing and there is much we duals take for granted! Even just Mother's Day alone... it's not all happy clappy for everyone and I was proud of our little church for acknowledging that and being, as Cadence said, supportive! Keep that card, Mama! It's precious!
ReplyDeleteSounds like your Mother's Day was a sweet blessing. Being a single parent is not easy but you show such grace in the process. Blessings on your week.
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious girl, your Cadence. Sweet to the core. I know too well about dual-homes...God bless you, my friend.
ReplyDelete