All my life I grappled with what card to buy for my mother on Mother’s Day. The mushy gushy ones just didn’t work for me. Maybe my mother would have liked them but we never had that kind of relationship. If you understand what I’ve said, then you too know that plain and simple sentiments are hard to find in the greeting card aisle.

I rarely felt the need to acknowledge June on Mother’s Day even though she was my step mother for over 50 years. She was more like my friend than one who nurtured and gave motherly advice. One of my most favorite chapters in our story, A Bittersweet Goodnight, is when I went to visit her in assisted living on Mother’s Day. I brought her tulips and two bags of chocolates. They were buy one get one free at Publix. June loved chocolate and a bargain.

We laid side by side in her single bed chatting like school girls and eating chocolates until they were almost gone. We sat there for hours. The aide finally came to collect June for dinner which she probably wouldn’t be able to eat. I closed the bag and tucked it in her drawer for a treat later. That was a good day for someone suffering from dementia and a wonderful memory for me.

I have many wonderful women in my life who have taught me about life and let me feel loved. So today I salute mothers, step mothers, pet mothers, sisters, friends, and women who simply care about and love others no matter who they are and where they come from. We need each and every one of you. That is my simple, loving sentiment to you all.