Hey there, crafty friends! I disappeared for the past couple weeks, as I just needed a bit of time to regroup. I came down with a virus that really knocked me down. I haven't been sick since 2019, and this one was a hard one to come back from. Being sick put me extremely behind in work, and we are just so busy all the time right now. I really had to focus each day to get back to a place where I wasn't just behind every single day.

I've felt extra sensitive about things this year. Mother's Day weekend in general isn't my favorite, but this year it stung even more than normal. I'm not sure why - a lot of the time I can compartmentalize or just check out for the day. But this year the never closed wound that is my grief just felt ripped wide open. Almost as wide open as the years we lost Ellie & Layton.

I've had this card about moms ready to post since well before last weekend, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. And that's okay. Grace upon grace upon grace is what I have to extend myself. And honestly - there should be a caveat to this card. It should probably say "good moms"...not just moms. I have the best mom, so I never understood how nuanced that day could be until I had to deal with it after losing my kids. I'm having to be extremely gentle with myself in 2023, and I really hope that you are doing the same for yourself as well.