Taylor Swift has a song she wrote about her mother and while it’s not one of her mega hits it is one of my favorites. The chorus of the song says,

“I don’t know if Snow White’s house is near or far away but I know I had the best day with you today.” (The Best Day by Taylor Swift)

When I was in the sixth grade I remember a typical Monday afternoon in which my mom did something that was simple in nature but has lasted in my memory. As she picked me up from school on that Monday afternoon I remember her saying, “I feel like going to see a movie. Want to go?”

Did I want to go? Of course I wanted to go. Did she really need to ask?

Together we headed to the mall where we caught a matinee of Sense and Sensibility. It was my first brush with Jane Austen and it was completely and utterly magical.

Being there with my mom, no homework, no rush, no worries. The only care on our minds was whether or not Edward and Eleanor would end up together by the end of the movie.

Whenever Mother’s Day rolls around I think of this memory and sometimes I wonder, why this one? Of all the special things my mom did for me growing up why does this memory stick so soundly, so seemingly above and beyond the others?

I’m not sure I know the answer but I think it has something to do with the unexpected. It wasn’t my birthday or a holiday when expectations run high. It was a Monday. It was a surprise. It was simple and fun.

I think there was also something in seeing my mom being nothing but her beautiful self. She wasn’t cooking, cleaning or transporting me around. She wasn’t busy being a wife or even a mom. It was one of the rare times I could witness my mom relax. She was just Martie. I was just Jen. For that space in time we were somehow free to be perfectly ourselves enjoying something we both loved.

There was probably any number of reasons why we could have chosen and maybe should have chosen not to go to the movies that day. But I’m so glad we went. I’m so glad my mom chose to follow her heart that day. And I’m glad she took me with her.

Now I’m a mom raising three girls of my own and I’m continually inspired by this memory and what it means to me. In the midst of homemaking, homeschooling, writing, being a wife and everyday mothering I hope I can be the kind of mom that builds memories like this one into the lives of my girls. 

Memories that stick for a lifetime. Memories of days spent enjoying a good movie, a good book, a good walk in the park or a trip to Barnes & Nobles. Memories of days spent enjoying each other.

Because somewhere deep in my mama’s heart I do know why that day with my mom was so special. I know it was one of hundreds of days in which my mom modeled the art of motherhood. The art of turning ordinary days, sometimes even bad days, into the best days. 

When I listen to Taylor sing about her mom I cry every time. My heart feels like it could burst wide open with how much I want my mom to know this is how I feel about her. It’s also what I want to be for my girls. I want to give them the best days.

On this Mother’s Day I pray that both may be true.

I pray that the best days of our lives will forever be the ones we spent together. 

To listen to Taylor’s song The Best Day please follow this link and treat yourself to some Mother’s Day goodness: https://youtu.be/l4_6eQm7RTQ