My girls and I took my husband out to dinner tonight, a thank you for an afternoon digging out concrete and sod so that we could have a new garden. As we ate, a woman near us caught my eye. Her kids appeared to be about two years apart, the same as mine. Hers, however, were still very young -- an infant and a toddler.

She caught my eye because of the way she was sitting. The baby was sitting on the seat of the booth, in her infant car seat. Her son sat next to the baby. The mom sat perched on the tiniest edge of the booth, trying valiantly to scarf down as much food as she could in the moments where no one needed something from her. They were few and far between.

Oh, how I remember those days. We're past them now and I was enjoying a fairly quiet meal with my family. But this poor mom had anything but a peaceful meal. She fed, she soothed, she cut up food, she fished her boy out from under the table, gave the baby a bottle...I even saw her eating standing up at one point. Her husband sat across from her, eating his meal in peace. I got the feeling that he would have liked to help, but maybe he just didn't know how. I was tired just watching her.

No one said motherhood was easy and some days, it certainly isn't. So this Mother's Day, my wish for all you moms out there is for a day for you to sit down and eat a meal, without interruption; a day where you get to take a shower by yourself, with no one popping in to ask you something; a morning where yours aren't the first feet to hit the floor when the baby cries; a day where you get to recharge your batteries for all that you do for everyone else. I hope that you get that tomorrow, because you deserve it.

Happy Mother's Day!