Best Moms Ever!

Dear Readers,

I hope your April was a pleasant one. The subject of mothers has been on my mind as we're approaching Mother's Day.

• I spent the month anticipating the arrival of a tiny addition to our family. I was fortunate to witness my eldest daughter birth her firstborn. The experience renewed my astonishment at what the female body is capable of. What mothers are capable of. Now I get to begin grandma life!

• I was at the coffee shop bright and early, standing by the front counter, watching the world wake. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the man nearby jump up from his seat and dart to open the front door for a young mom who was holding an infant car seat in one hand and a full drink carrier in the other. What struck me was that this particular man was surrounded by papers, notebooks, his laptop . . . working, creating. It wasn't convenient for him to get up, yet it was important to him to support this mom. Thank you to the communities out there who stand up for and build up our moms. It's important. It doesn't go unnoticed. And here's to all the moms who are uniquely themselves, doing their best—being the best moms ever!

• April Book Stack. People don't often offer me book recommendations, but I received two this month and enjoyed both: The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak, which I mentioned in my essay "Growing Under the Canopy," and the memoir Born a Crime by South African comedian Trevor Noah. Those and Pádraig Ó Tuama's Being Here were my favorite reads in April. Two quotes from Noah's book stood out because they attest to a mother's influence:
  "My mom did what school didn't. She taught me how to think." —page 68
  "The highest rung of what's possible is far beyond the world you can see. My mother showed me what was possible." —page 73

Thanks for reading.

—Melody 💟