When we gathered for Easter this year, my brother, sister, and I were reminiscing about some of the funny situations that have occurred over the years. One in particular stood out as the perfect story for Mother’s Day.

It was one summer in the 90s, and we were scheduled to take a short vacation to the beach. We had gotten home from school and quickly packed our things, filling our car up with all the sundry items that you need for a fun beach trip. I think we may have been taking our dog as well, so we were considering what things we would need to keep him happy.

Finally, with the car jammed full, mom shouted from her room that her suitcase was ready to go in the car and we were set to go. We didn’t have too far to drive, but you know what it’s like to pile the whole family in the car. Lots of noise, lots of smells, and throw in the dog on top of that. . . But we made it, along with almost everything that we needed for a great weekend.

As we were unloading the car, one very important item was not present: Mom’s suitcase. So many years later, it isn’t clear who actually forgot to put it in the car. Somehow, we’ve always managed to blame my brother, but I’m sure that all of us played a role in forgetting. Mom was a trooper, and since we were teenagers and all about the same size or bigger than her, she borrowed a few pairs of clothes and such from each of us. I can’t remember what she did for a swimsuit, but we made the best of it and, as I recall, enjoyed our quick stay at the beach.

Poor mom. As I was looking over my newsletters from years past, I realized this isn’t the first time I’ve written about forgetting to do something mom asked us to do. It just confirms that I have the best mom ever. No matter our screw-ups, or how annoying it is not to have your stuff on vacation, mom just smiles, tells you everything’s fine, and pretends she is still having a great time. That is how you mom. Thanks for putting up with the times we messed up. I promise, next trip, we’ll make sure you have your suitcase.

It probably won’t make up for what you’ve put mom through over the years, but you can always try by treating her to something beautiful for her garden. We’d love to see you together at the nursery where flowers are plentiful, inspiration is free and time with mom is priceless. And if your mom loves herb gardening, come on out this Saturday at 10 am for our Growing Fresh Herbs seminar. Whether you are a mom to people, pets or plants, Happy Mother’s Day, we hope you have a great weekend.