I am always overwhelmed by my many blessings on Mothers Day when I focus on the amazing moms who have touched my life. My own Mom , Step Mom and vibrant Grandmothers, along with the staggering number of teachers and mentors who have mothered me in some manner along the way, all make me feel rich with love.

But This Mothers Day is special because I get to officially celebrate The Other Mother of my two precious boys. The Other Mother is my ex-husbands new wife Laura. And I wake up thankful for her everyday.

I realize that people who don’t know her, or me, or Tim might read that as cynical or sarcastic.  But for me it is the humbling grace of the universe. I can not begin to tell you what a gift Laura is in my life and the life of my boys.

Laura has white carpet in her home, and placemats.  It would be easy to say we are polar opposites if you enter the explosion of who-knows-what that is my house. 3 weeks ago The boys and I made a giant stuffed panda and there is still fake fur and glass eyeballs spilled all around the kitchen. So much so we have had to eat our dinners on the couch. So there is now also dinner on my couch. With my youngest child’s penchant for sticking things between the cushions, it is safe to assume dinner is also IN my couch. And whatever it was will be thoroughly replaced with dog hair and slobber.

Laura has advanced Mom Skills.
When she does laundry it smells terrific. When I do laundry it’s just because I can’t send the boys to school in swimsuits.She believes in good solid shoes. She always remembers jackets when there is a chill in the air. When she makes a craft in the dining room, she puts down ….hahahahah…wait for it! …a plastic cloth….. and then cleans up the project when she is done….like the same day.

She is a survivor, she handles everything that comes her way, she is fierce ( like you don’t want to mess with her or her babies) and strong, and kind and giving. She is creative and makes a difference in so many lives.  She loves people wholly and unconditionally just as they are. She is a nurse to her core, caring for everyone around her. Yesterday my throat hurt and she made me fresh squeezed lemonade over ice.  She puts up with my phobic weirdness, my moments when I can’t drive ….. but most importantly SHE LOVES MY BOYS.

I often scratch my head at what divine intervention brought her into our lives? I have watched Tim become happier than I have ever known and emerge phoenix-like from a harsh decade. He has grown into the greatest father. An enviable father, the kind of man who puts his kids first,  showing up for them in every way. I know it is her support and love that makes his life so full and vibrant.  They are a great team.  I have watched them move furniture together, they move as if one person maneuvering thru doorways and obstacles without a disgruntled huff or puff.

In connecting the dots backwards it seems everything that has happened in ALL of our lives arranged itself perfectly to our best present moment. And that leaves me with an overwhelming feeling of faith and gratitude.

When I see them now, all riding bikes as a family. I thank my stars…I know Laura has packed sandwiches and enough gatorade  to replenish their little electrolytes. I know if they fall she will be there with bacitracin and band aids. This is the family life Tim always wanted…. and that is a life my children deserve and it is…blech OMG not for me! I hate riding bikes, in the hot. with the wheels. the balancing and the chaffing. Hate it.

My boys get two giant amazing lives. They get the normal I don’t even know how to muster…and they get the thing that I got…the whimsy, chaos, creativity and spice that I get to teach them.

I recognize there will be bumps. Someday our idiosyncrasies might clash or communication could get jumbled. As they get older we may have different ideas on discipline, or frustrations with the complexity of our lives, it might not always be as easy as it is today. That is why I want to celebrate you Laura. So you know right now and since the day I met you, I see all that you do, and I don’t take it for granted. Oh, and I made you this license plate for Mother’s Day, but didn’t print it yet in case there are changes or making nurse Tinker Bell is too weird? Thank you for all that you do!

I have drawn the conclusion: If you are lucky enough to have someone in your life who loves your children as their own, you are simply and truly lucky enough.