Though I was on the swim team and did work as a life guard at the very posh Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort…ah, the good old days when I had a totally awesome tan, a skinny young body & my biggest worry was if I’d get time off to go to the beach and show it off!

What’s your best memory from the past? Not kids or getting married but something silly.

 Kristan:

My mom is always there to cheer me on. She always seems a little surprised at whatever I do… “You’re such a good mother!” or “Did you really make that pie?” or “This book was so good!” It’s quite cute. Add to that, she loves to laugh. Happy Mother’s Day, dear Mom! Love from your 5′ 8″ preemie, Kristan

Elise:

Mothers’ Day is kind of bittersweet for me because my mother died in April 2010 when she was 49 years old. My oldest daughter was 10 months at the time, and already through my pregnancy and the first few months of my daughter’s life, I had asked for so much advice and shared so many moments with my mother, and I wish that I could share all the moments as she and my youngest daughter grow up. My mother was my best friend (well, after I moved out of the house and though we lived in separate states we would talk to each other on the phone for an hour or more several times a week. I know my mother wasn’t perfect; she was a little too obsessed with cleaning, in my opinion. =) I’ll never forget when she came to my house to get ready for my oldest daughter’s delivery and decided to clean my entire house while we waited. I got a scolding because it wasn’t enough to just remove the lint from the lint catcher in the dryer; you had to take the lint catcher out and dig deep into the crevices to get the lint there, too. I never knew that before, but now you can bet that I do that every time. =) Yet although she wasn’t perfect, she was very close to being the perfect mother. She was always supportive, even when she didn’t understand or didn’t necessarily agree. She was very cautious about not giving advice where it might be unwanted, and she was always there to listen, even if nothing I had to say was the least bit interesting. And when she was in the wrong, she apologized. It might have taken her a little time, but she always did, and I respected her for that. She loved so much, and every day when I look at my daughters I wish that they could grow up knowing her and the love she would have had for them. The picture is of me and my mother the day before my wedding, after she had taken care of all the decorations. I was 19 and she was 42. Happy Mothers’ Day, Mama. I love you.

Catherine:

I never realized what a complex job motherhood was until I became a mom myself, more than sixteen years ago.  My daughter is and has always been an angel, but being a mom is a huge responsibility.  One of the things, though, that I’ve always kept in mind while raising my daughter is how my mother was always there for me, whether she was soothing cuts and scrapes, buying me craft supplies for elementary school projects, hugging me after breakups with boyfriends, or encouraging me to challenge myself creatively and academically.  Thanks to her, I had a strong role model to follow when raising my daughter.  I hope my daughter feels as special and loved as my mom made me feel.  Thanks, Mom!

Margo:

My mom was easy to admire. Her name was Justine McCarthy and she grew up during the depression, graduating from college in the midst of World War II. After joining the Red Cross in 1943, she was sent to Europe – not into battle, but definitely into the thick of things – in England, Italy, Germany. When the war effort wound down, Mom came home and became a teacher, married my dad and raised five kids. She was the most indomitable woman I’ve ever known, fearless and independent. Lovely and loving.

Shana:

I don’t think I ever appreciated my mother fully until I had a child of my own. I never realized how hard it is to care for an infant and how much a mom sacrifices. Watching my mom interact with my daughter is special as well. They have their own unique relationship, and it reminds me so much of our relationship when I was a child. I’m so fortunate to have had such a loving, wonderful mother, and now we’re lucky she’s a fabulous grandma!

Katherine:

Being a mother is the greatest joy I’ve found in my life.  It is sometimes frustrating and challenging but I love my kids and every day with them just makes me love them more.  And it also makes me love my mother more.  My mom is happiest when she is with her family.  Nothing makes her happier than having all her daughters home and all her grandkids.  And I have learned from her that the joy in family is the most pure.  Its the one place where I laugh hardest and just find the most peace.

I’m the oldest of three girls and grew up hearing that I look just like my mother.  As a girl I wanted to be my own person but I love that she and I do look the same and was pleased when my own daughter looked like us too.  My mom put her children first and still does spending most of her time traveling between all of her daughters’ homes to visit with them.

I just wanted to take the time today to say thank you to my mom for being the best!!!

Robyn:

My mom is the best. Seriously. I would arm wrestle any of you to prove it too. We’ve always been close, and she’s always been there for me, but this past year while I was learning how to be a mom myself, she was invaluable. When The Professor and I moved back to Texas a few years ago, we decided to build a home, so while we were building we lived upstairs in my parents house. For nine months. That’s a trial on anyone’s relationship with their parents. But we survived. And then once our house was built, my parents loved ours so much and the neighborhood, they bot a lot right around the corner (3 houses away) and built their retirement home, smaller, brand-spanking new and totally delightful. The Professor likes to tell people he lives in Everybody Loves Raymond. But let me tell you, having grandparents that close, in those early days it was a necessity for my sanity. So we see each other everyday unless someone is out of town. We cook together sometimes or cook for the other’s family. But you know the coolest thing about my mom is that she’s the very reason I’m a writer. You see, she’s a writer too. Though she’s not published yet, she’s working diligently at it and someday you will all be able to read her books too. I love being able to share writing with my mom, it’s a magical connection we have and it makes me hope, just a little bit, that maybe one of my daughters will grow up to be a writer too.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.

Janette:

Cindy:

Like Jan, my mother has passed away.  Though it’s been a long time, the love I felt for her has not diminished.  Whenever I think back on the closeness we shared, I’m grateful.  And it makes me want to urge everyone who still has a mother –or really anyone who means something to them–to not take that person for granted.  Spend time with those who you love, tell them often how much they mean to you and build those happy memories now, while you still can.

Emily:

I think most of the other JQ’s are writing about their own moms, but I’m going to depart from the norm and talk about my mother-in-law. We lost her this year to pancreatic cancer. It’s funny, because when she was alive and healthy, I never felt particularly close to her. She grew up on a hard-scrabble farm in west Texas, during the dust bowl in the fifties. She was tough and strong and made the best chicken and dumplings I’ve ever eaten. She was the kind of woman who could do anything she put her mind to, and could usually do it better than anyone else. In the twenty-one years I knew her, I saw her show kindness, strength and compassion, but it wasn’t until she was diagnosed that I saw her vulnerability. It was only then that I felt like I really understood her as a mother and as a person. Like so many mothers, she was strong and indomitable not by choice, but by necessity. Now that she is gone, I find myself wanting to be a better wife and mother, partly because I better understand how quickly time passes and partly to honor her, because they were her family, too.

Nancy:  I’m not going to lie, Mother’s Day is bittersweet for me.   My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 19. She passed away when I was 23. The anniversary of her death is May 13… today.  May hits me like a double whammy since it contains both the day I lost my mom and the day our nation collectively celebrates mothers.

While my mom and I were close, we never had the opportunity to experience the lovely, mature relationship that mothers and daughters grow into later in life. Again, not gonna lie, sometimes I feel a little cheated.

However, when I start feeling sorry for myself, I clearly hear my mom telling me to count my blessings.  Because I  have been blessed in so many wonderful ways. One of my greatest joys is my own daughter.  I could wax prosaic and corny about how I adore that child. She is my sunshine, my world, the only perfect work of art I will ever create. See? I warned you…  Unlike my daughter, I was a “challenging” teenager; a handful.  There were many times my mom would hold my gaze and say, “Someday, I hope you have a daughter just like you.”  That would take me down a peg or two, and I would ask, “Is that a curse or a blessing?” She would just smile and shrug.

Time finally revealed that my daughter is indeed a blessing.  If my mom somehow had a hand in the temperament of my child, she would’ve only given me a “blessing.” There would’ve been no hesitation on her part, no matter how many times I smarted off to her when I was growing up. I could just hear her saying, “Give her the kind of kid she should’ve been.” Of course, she would’ve smiled her sweet smile when she said it. My mom led by example and love, especially when she had to be firm with me.

Since there are no do-over’s after death closes the door, the only way I can make up for those teenage years is to live my adult life in a way that would make her proud.  When I face a challenge, I ask, “What would Mom do?” The answer always sets me straight.  Happy Mother’s Day, everyone! Count your blessings and celebrate your mamas.

Please tells us about your mom or about being a mother.

Please contact me via my website and I will get your prize in the e-mail to you!

Thank you everyone for stopping by.

Katherine

When I worked at my very first job at Walt Disney World, May was one of those months with five pay periods which always made me think of found money. I realize now that I’m not making more money but at the time I was 17 and it seemed like a bonus!

I still like May. I get to celebrate Mother’s Day both with my mom and with my own kids. We get days off for holidays (Memorial Day in the US, another Bank Holiday in the UK) and it is the start of summer. Its still dreary in the Midlands of the UK but I bought some new summer clothes and I’m ready for it.

What do you like most about May?

I’m giving a way a copy of THE GREATEST GIFT: A HARLEQUIN MOTHER’S DAY Collection today to one blog participant. Its only available in e-book form and has stories from myself, Kathleen O’Brien, Donna Alward and Tonya Micheals.

Thanks to everyone for sharing their ideas on delicious!

Katherine

My husband’s kiss–he just tastes perfect.
My mom’s lasagna-nothing and I do mean nothing comes close.
A silly long skirt I have that’s made of imitation silk, um that would be rayon. But it feels so delicious next to my skin!

What do you find delicious? I have some READY FOR HER CLOSE-UP notepads that I will send to two lucky blog participants today!

Kathy

I’m the writer who wants to go somewhere exciting and packs a bag and then figures the rest out on the way. And my latest book is a bit like that. This is the last book in the Matchmakers, Inc. series and the heroine, Willow Stead was actually the first one who came to me. Willow is nothing like me in that she doesn’t let go of things that have happened in her past.

I do. I push anything unpleasant to the farthest reaches of my mind and hope it never pops up again. In a way Willow’s a little like that. But really she just is patient. She doesn’t seek out revenge on Jack but when he shows back up in her life and starts flirting with her, she can’t help but feel like now is the time for her to even the score between them from all those years ago.

I’m too impatient to have waited that long for anything…it’s been ten years since Willow and Jack last saw each other when the first Matchmakers, Inc. book opens.

So what about you?

Kathy

I’m definitely caught up in the Hunger Games and the fever of it has spread throughout my house.

What about you…Hunger Geek or Not?

Chey and catslady–please email me your address via my website at www.katherinegarbera.com.

Kathy

My office has always been the one place in he house that is entirely mine. I have artsy pictures that are to my taste and might not suit the rest of the family. I have certificates on the wall of awards I’ve won, and lots of books. My kids have always loved coming into the office and lying on the floor by my desk or sitting in the guest chair.
I’m not always welcoming to visitors especially when my fingers are moving on the keyboard. But once I’m done typing I’m more than willing to share my little sanctuary with anyone who enters.
Sometimes when I return to my desk I will find little notes that have been left behind. They are simple messages that say I love you! Or Hi MomE. Just small gestures left that make me smile and feel loved. Its silly to think something that small can make a huge difference in a day, but it does.
I keep all these notes and have them from my kids first learned to write. Some of them are in my Franklin Covey planner others are attached to monitor. And one gift a post-it note man made by my son is now remembered only in a photo. But each of these things make me smile.
Writing is a solitary profession but every time I sit down in my office space at home I’m surrounded by family and their love.

What’s the best surprise you’ve ever had waiting for you?

I will pick two winners from today’s comments to win an autographed copy of HIS ROYAL PRIZE.