I rolled in from Portland late last night. My flight was due in shortly after midnight, but it got delayed, and I think my head hit the pillow around 3:30 AM. (This after a long layover in San Francisco. Ugh.) Fortunately, we had a hotel room near the airport so I wouldn't have the one-hour drive home and a one-hour drive back this morning to march with the faculty at DTS's graduation. Boy, was that decision worth every cent! (Also, our girl loved the pool, and my husband liked the part about the free hot breakfast.)

Today was worth every minute of sleep I missed to book 'em back to town! It is so cool to watch friends receive their doctorates and master's degrees after years of hard work. The day had so many highlights, most of which will remain private moments with the students I was celebrating, but a definite high point was when my former student Bernadette from Rwanda (and one of my heroes) received her master's in counseling and introduced me to her friends as if I were the celebrity of the day. I want to be like her when I grow up.

Tomorrow's Mother's Day. It's a great time to honor all women who nurture. And for moms to give thanks for their kids.

It's also a good time to remember the infertile (who often call it M-day); people who've lost moms; moms estranged from their kids; kids estranged from their moms; moms who've lost kids; and birthmoms. Same with grandmothers. Today's a day to give thanks; to appreciate; to forgive; to restore; to pray for healing; to mourn but remember with gratitude.

And if you don't have kids, why not love on other people's? I've never met a child who couldn't benefit from more love.