Mother's Day is just a week away. It will be the first one celebrated since my dear mother passed away. I know it won't be the same but I have to go through the paces so that my children won't know just how sad I really am. I always love to visit my daughter, Marie and her husband, Tom on special occasions because Marie enjoys doing things for me and her dad. So, on Mother's Day we will be coming back from three days of camping out (our first time in six years) and we will go directly to Marie and Tom's house for a nice luncheon. Hopefully, our son, Chuck and his wife, Betty, will also be there. Our original plans (Marie and Tom's) were to go with our daughter and son-in-law to Harper's Ferry for two days and come back on Mother's Day. Things didn't pan out the way we wanted because Tom has a major fishing tornament that weekend. So, we opted for camping instead. It will be so nice being by ourselves and just relaxing in Nature. We have missed doing that over these last six years, but one thing or another has prevented us from going out with our camper. Well, it's all water under the bridge, so to speak. No sense in rehashing it now. Some things took priority, that's all. And my mother's care came first in my life at that time. Now that we are alone again, we can begin to take trips or camp as often as we want to. I just hope the rising cost of gas doesn't prevent us from traveling, even to the campgrounds that are close by us. I guess that remains to be seen. I won't borrow trouble. It comes often enough anyway. Mother's Day has always been special to me. I have many wonderful memories of celebrating Mother's Day with my own mother. I remember once when I was in fourth grade, the teacher gave us construction paper and told us how to make woven baskets on a card for our mothers. I painstakingly cut strips of brown construction paper and, following a pattern, wove the strips into a basket design. Then, with bright colored paper, I made flowers and pasted them into the basket. When I was finished, I had a very attractive card to give my mother. When I gave it to her she complimented me on the beauty of the basket of flowers. It made my young heart so glad that she was pleased with my card. Mother kept that card for many years. I'd love to see that card now but after such a long time and many relocations, it was probably thrown away with other things a person tosses when packing to move. I can't blame Mom for that. I've done the same thing time and again in the years we moved while my husband was in the Army. All wives of service men have to do that. I'm glad I still have the memory of giving Mother that card though. It was special to her and to me, our own private memory together. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY all you mothers out there of all ages. Motherhood is special, only given to women by God. We accept it with all the pain and sorrow, smiles and tears, years of trials and errors. Finally when we think we have actually succeeded in learning "How" to be a good mother, the children leave the nest. But, isn't that what God meant to happen? Look at the birds---they do the same thing. Even so, motherhood is a badge of courage. We welcome and accept the challenges of motherhood. Thank you, God.