It’s that time of year again! The last 5 years I have been on a roller coaster of emotions on and around Mother’s Day. I have sort of a love/hate relationship with it. On the one hand, I’m like “stay home, this is a stupid Hallmark invention!” On the other, I’m feeling all the feels about my kids, moms without living children, and folks who’s moms have passed already.

Have you ever heard of May Day? It’s celebrated a lot of places, but I think in the USA it’s somewhat of a dying tradition. I celebrated a few times growing up and now that my girls are 4 and almost 2, and we have spent the last few years actively trying to build relationships with our neighbors, I figured this year would be the perfect time to start and continue the tradition with them.

It’s finally consistently warm here, and the worst of the pollen is over. If you didn’t know, NC pollen in April is brutal — the pine trees puke a foggy yellow dust on everything, and it is virtually inescapable. My whole family is allergic to that much pollen, and so it’s just a really tough time for us. But, thank God, we are over it, yes and amen, and just in time to enjoy Spring before the heat of Summer bakes us to a crisp.

The other day my sweet neighbor friend invited my kids and me to her house for a Butterfly Release. She had studied Painted Lady caterpillars with her preschool class, and they had formed their chrysalises and were ready to emerge as beautiful new butterflies any day. This has now become a treasured tradition, as she’s invited us to join her in this endeavor the last few Aprils, and we love her for it.