Growing up, we had a Monday tradition. Each Monday in elementary school, after my brother and I received our weekly homework packets, my mom would take us to Starbucks to knock out as much of the work as possible. But this wasn’t any old coffee shop visit; this was called “Homework Party,” and it invariably involved a petite vanilla bean scone for each of us (they came in packs of three) and conversations with the baristas who knew us by name. Sometimes our friends would even join the party to do their homework with us.
My mom is a master in framing learning as fun—that’s what being a math teacher will get you. (Math teachers must master the art of teaching from an angle, springing learning on kids instead of coming at it head on, much like how you approach a wild animal from the side to avoid getting snapped at.) Hence, she encouraged us to see homework, the bane of childhood, as something communal, a tradition to look forward to.
I look back fondly on these memories. Mothers possess a power often unsung. They hold their children’s hands as they first experience the unknown and slowly, slowly let them venture off into the wide world by themselves, serving as a refuge to retreat to when life goes sideways.
If you’re fortunate enough to have a mom like this, take a moment to remind her of her influence on your life. Don’t underestimate the power of saying thank you. Write her a card and point out the specific ways she has shown up for you.
So happy Mother’s Day to all the moms who do the steady work of showing up for their children week after week. Who relearn algebra to sit at the kitchen table with a child on the verge of a meltdown. Who comfort those little ones who scrape their knees and suffer unkind words and ask big questions. Your work matters.
~Claire S.