Mother's Day 2021

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers and mother-figures out there!

If you know me, you know that I visit the cemetery every year on Mother’s Day. Not just for my forever-missed middle daughter, but for my grandmother. My Lola was a second mom to me, to all of us, and we miss her every day.

I miss how she would have loved and teased and been so proud of my daughters. I even miss how she probably would have teased me for doing what she always dreamed for me—she wanted me to go to medical school even as I dug in my heels and said I wasn’t pre-med. Though Lola passed away before I was officially a doctor (I was in my third year of medical school, and I remember all the details so well….), I could feel her presence when I graduated both from medical school and pediatric residency.

Though my daughters may not become doctors (and you best believe I’m not pressuring them either way even though it IS what I ultimately chose for myself), I know they are going to change the world. Just like their Lola-Lola did.

I feel so lucky that I was able to spend time with my sisters and my mom yesterday. Our immediate families gathered for an outdoor celebration, a much appreciated event during this pandemic. But I’m also thinking of my friends whose moms are no longer with us, of all the moms who have been lost during this pandemic, and of all the moms with empty arms, who have had their children taken too soon in many different ways.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you. Please be gentle with yourselves today. xo