May Days

Guest post by Suzann Darnall

May is quite the month of special days for my family. My husband and one of my sons-in-law celebrate their birthday. Our little angel granddaughter, who stayed for only a few hours, came to us in May. Of course, there is Mother’s Day. I also celebrate the birthday of my sweet Great Dane, Blue, this month. Plus, we get to wind up the month with Memorial Day. Making this a month truly a time for remembrance and gratitude in our family.

I used to also celebrate May 1st as Lei Day, when we lived in Hawaii. I still think of it as Lei Day and I am kinda sad that I cannot get a lovely double carnation lei to celebrate it now. But, I can fondly recall the memories of so many lovely flower leis during my years on Oahu.

I have to admit that the most special of the family days in May is, without doubt, the birthday of my dear husband, Pete. Without him the other special days, for our family, would not have come about. Without him there would be no daughters and therefore no sons-in-laws. That would have meant that our little angel grandbaby would not have come into being. So, I first and foremost give thanks to the Lord for providing me a most perfect eternal sweetheart. He fits into my heart just right and makes all of life better for being there.

I am also grateful to the Lord for bringing Ray into the life of our daughter. He is a fine man and we are thankful that he loves our daughter and his children so very much.

While there is a measure of sorrow in commemorating Vivien’s birthday, there is much more joy in knowing that she awaits us on the other side. Eventually this child of my heart will rejoin the family as we make our way to her in Heaven. It was a miracle that we got to meet her at all in her brief time on Earth. She lived, she breathed, her heart beat, and I fell in love. Yes, there is sadness, but the joy and love help push it aside so that I can remember her with happiness, too.

I know not everyone considers pets to be part of the family, but they are very much a part of my family. Some are extra special members, too. Blue is a most excellent companion. He is greatly loved and shows that he loves us as well. He is my baby dog, despite weighing as much as an adult human.

Although I regularly have to share Mother’s Day and/or Mother’s Day weekend with family birthdays, it is a day I love. I get to celebrate it as a daughter, wife, mother, and grandmother. My family makes me feel much loved and very special. I get to celebrate my mother and both of my daughters. I love being part of a family with other mothers. The bond of motherhood is one I cherish and love honoring it amongst the women in my circle of life.

I think it is especially important to acknowledge the importance of family celebrations in this day and age. Many unhealthy influences in society are trying to tear down the traditional family. There are efforts to destroy the bonds between parents and children. Movements that mock motherhood are on the rise under some false idea of empowering women.

I am proud to be a wife, mother, and grandmother. It is my vocation and my avocation, although I do not consider it to be minor in any way. I love taking care of my husband, family, animals, and home. I like to cook, bake, nurture, and make our house a home. I always have. For more than 40 years now, I have been matriarch of my own home. It is an honorable undertaking for a woman and I am insulted each time some leftist or feminist group tries to minimize the importance of stay-home wives and mothers. I am insulted for not just myself, but for generations of women in my family and throughout history who have chosen home and family first.

This does not mean I do not have just as much respect for those women who have chosen careers. I believe myself to be a true feminist with a belief in true equal rights. I actually believe a woman should have freedom of choice. We should all be able to choose who and what we want to be. Wife, mother, working mom, career woman, or some combination of the above, it should be our choice! We should not have to fit into some predestined box that society decides is what all women should do.

So, I say, “Happy Days” to all y’all on this lovely day in May. Celebrate life, love, laughter and liberty. Memorial Day is an excellent way to celebrate the liberty as we pay homage to those who died in military service to our country to preserve our freedoms. It is also a pretty good time to get together with family for making new memories filled with love and laughter.

May the Lord bless you and yours with a month of joy. May you have time to cherish your loved ones and recall your lost ones. God bless this land of liberty and those who make it a home worth preserving. This includes the mothers and soldiers, the families and the pets. There are so many more, but for today, I will keep a short list and count it as done.

Read more of Suzann's essays at Wooly Mammoth.com