Living in the Present
- Kathleen Mock
- May 11
- 2 min read
St. Michael’s School Students Honor Mary
May Crowning, 2026
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all of the moms, grandmas, moms-to-be, step-moms, and mother-like figures who make such an impact in our lives. Yesterday after Mass, my husband and I went to the cemetery to bring flowers to my mom’s grave. Rather than purchase something from the store, I cut some rose stems (I think I’m up to 17 rose bushes?) from my yard. My mom lived with us for five years, and she spent many hours weeding, pruning, planting, and admiring the beautiful flowers we cultivated, so I thought she might appreciate some of the fruits of her labor. We then headed home and I eagerly waited for a phone call from each of my four adult children, who can’t always be present but always check in, especially on Mother’s Day.
Looking back, I realize I did not appreciate my mother or do enough for her. I regret that I did not call more, visit more frequently, or recognize the sacrifices she made. Instead, I was consumed with raising my own family and working. Like all mothers, my plate was always full and I was constantly exhausted, too tired to fully appreciate those experiences as well. Only now can I laugh as I recollect spending four Mother’s Days in a row in the emergency room with one child or another. The old adage about living in the present moment is certainly a wise one. We often spend too much time regretting choices we made in the past or worrying about what the future might hold, and we fail to enjoy each day fully and completely. We forget the words from Ecclesiastes 3:1, reminding us that everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses; everything has its own time and season.
May Gray aside, this month is filled with joy and Mary is at the very heart of it all. From First Holy Communion and May Crowning to Mother’s Day, Mary gives us hope and her abundant love. She, like all mothers, experienced many blessings as well as much sorrow and pain, yet through it all, she remained steadfast and true. For the rest of this beautiful month, take time to look to Mary as a role model, pause, smell the roses, breathe, and enjoy the moment, for it will soon be a faded memory.
Deo Gratias, Kathy
