May is for mothers!

It’s May (already!) and Mother’s Day is fast approaching. For so many mothers, what is supposed to be a celebration of all that we do for our families has become a dreaded occasion. Maybe we don’t hate Mother’s Day, just the maudlin commercialism that’s associated with it. Or maybe it’s that we look forward to this day where our children are kind and loving and appreciative, but we wake up that morning and they’re just the same kids as yesterday. Or maybe it’s that we have “issues” with our own mothers. Or maybe it’s that we have to confront that we’re not the moms we wished we were.

No matter what the reason, I think it doesn’t have to be that way. We can redefine our expectations. Maybe instead of a day we expect our family to be perfect and treat us like a queen, we can strive for a day where we reflect on the things we’ve learned about motherhood, or the things we love about motherhood—or even just the things we love about our children.

On that note, I asked a few friends to post about lessons they’ve learned from motherhood. Their posts have already touched my heart and I hope they will yours, too.

So please read and comment on this week’s guest posts—and think about what you need to do to make Mother’s Day merry!