The Most Special Mother's Day.

With Mother's Day around the corner, this one is from my treasured memory bag, written some seven  years ago.

The first Mother’s day that was special to me was May 9, 2004. That was special because for the first time, I was experiencing this day as a mother. I was new to the mother’s world as I my first bundle of joy was born a week before . But what made the day even more special was that the first person to wish me on this day was my own mom.

Since then for the last four years, I get calls and wishes every year on this day from my spouse, mom, friends and relatives. But this year was special and would be registered in my memory as the most special Mother’s Day of my life. It was special because for the first time my own daughter wished me. Yes! My four year old has grown up smart enough to fill my life with surprises on special occasions like this.

Well, she surprised me with a special card that she made at her school and for her age she did a pretty good job to keep this as a surprise till the right moment.

She came back from school on Friday with her father and directly rushed to her room. This was very unusual as she generally comes to give me  a big hug. But I could make out that she had something in her lunch pack that she hid in the chest of drawers in her room. I thought it to be some stones or some leaves, which she always collects and hides it in safe place before her baby sister sees it. When I asked her about it, she gave a mischievous smile and hugged me.

Next day in the morning, she woke up and asked-“Is it Sunday today?”.

I replied-“No. It is Saturday.”  The day passed as usual. The next morning she woke and repeated the same question.  When I told her that it was Sunday, there was a twinkle in her eyes. She jumped out of her bed and hugged me tightly. Then giving a gentle kiss on my cheek she said-“Happy Mother’s Day. I love you mama.” Oh! It seemed so special being honored by my own daughter on a special day. I said ‘thank you’ and kissed her back.

In bathroom while helping the two sisters with brushing their teeth, I had a beautiful talk with her. She started- “My teacher told me that it is Mother’s Day on Sunday.”

I said-“So, you wished me because your teacher asked you to do so.”

“No”- she said interrupting me promptly,” I did it because you are my mama and I love you.”

After a few seconds pause she said,”I want to be an astronaut when I grow up and I will go to space in a rocket ship.” That was influence of Little Einstein's rocket ship from her favorite TV show.

“Wow! That’s great”, I said helping her wipe her face with a towel.

“I want to sit on your lap when I become astronaut and I want you to drive the rocket ship as you drive me to school”, she said with an innocent glitter in her eye.

I could not stop smiling. I bend down to comb her hair and looking in to her mischievous eyes I said,” You will not fit into my lap once you grow up to become an astronaut.”

“No! I do not want to grow up”, she said and rushed to her room. My heart said “Amen!” for her wish but deep in my heart I know that one day she will outgrow my lap. But she will never be out of my heart.

She opened her chest of drawers and came  with the special surprise she hid there since Friday. She gave me a card and said, “I made this for you in school.”

It was a card with prints of her two little hands and a beautiful poem written on it.

Sometimes I might upset you

Just because I’m small

By leaving fingerprints of mine

On a table, chair or wall

But everyday I grow a bit

And I will be big one day

When all my tiny fingerprints

Have long been cleaned away

So keep these prints of my two hands

To help you recall

Just how big my fingers were

That time when I was small

Happy Mother’s Day

My eyes were moist. I kissed those prints of her two little hands and placed the card in my treasure bag. I have a treasure bag where I safely keep all the sweet memories related to my two little daughters- their ultrasound pictures, the wrist band that they wore in the hospital when they were born, their first footprints, their first picture after their birth, their pictures on each of their birthdays and so on. These will be the treasures that I will cherish the most down the memory lane, especially when my little chicks  will fly away, leaving me behind in my empty nest with these memories to rejoice. It’s truly said “Little hands do make a big difference in your life”.