Yesterday was Mother's Day. A beautiful day to celebrate the impact mothers have on our lives. The day when we go out of our way to honor her, bring her gifts, take her out for a meal, maybe a piece of jewelry, or if she has small children a card or a little crafts project that was carefully made.

But that is one day out of the year. One day (and probably not even that), where we remember all the work that goes into mothering. One day when we remember the loads of laundry she did, the hundreds of meals she cooked, the kid's homework she reviewed, the diapers she changed, the long hours she sat by the bedside helping a child sleep through the night.... the list can go on.

We don't remember the times she lost her temper, the times she made us do chores, the times she burned a meal, or had no patience. We also don't think about the many moms who have been struggling in being moms because they might be young, or they might not have had good role models, or they struggle with trauma or PTSD, or they are addicted to something. Remember the moms who have lost a child, or never could have children but wished and prayed for them.

Mother's Day, like all days is complicated and can dredge up emotions that can be tragic and beautiful at the same time.

Here are some suggestions on honoring moms throughout the year: Do something nice more than once, maybe bring flowers, but maybe a better idea is doing the dishes, maybe get chocolate, but maybe taking the kids out for a playdate so she can have a few hours of rest. Maybe mentor a young mom who is struggling to do it well. Maybe support an organization that supports moms, maybe babysit, the list is endless.

Flowers are nice, ongoing support is more powerful! Let's remember mom more than just once a year.