Because my mom’s birthday falls in March, she gets a March Slice of Life dedicated to her each year. All week, I’ve been scanning my brain for an idea or a moment-anything that felt worthy. I kept coming back to a conversation with our youngest daughter, Rose. She was recounting a snow day she spent with my mom.

It was an unusual day. I had dropped Adi and Rose off at my mom’s like any other morning. But it wasn’t exactly a usual day because the girls had a delayed start after two days of no school thanks to a blizzard. I had a regular school day, so I followed our normal routine, backpacks packed, lunchboxes ready. When I left them with my parents, I reviewed the revised drop-off times and after-school plans, then got on the road.

Before I even made it to school, a text popped up on my car’s screen. Stratford schools were now closed. There have been a few storms since then, so I can’t even remember why they ultimately called it. But I called my parents to let them know.

“Now the girls have no school,” I said. “Can they stay with you?”

I got busy at work and didn’t think much about their unexpected snow day…until my mom started texting pictures. The girls in the snow with my three-year-old niece. The girls at the diner. My mom runs a daycare out of her house, so I figured she must not have had kids that day. This kind of weekday adventure would have been unusual otherwise.

That afternoon, when I picked the girls up from my parents’ house, my mom kept talking about their special day.

“We just had so much fun,” she said again and again.

Later, when Rose was retelling parts of the day, she mentioned that Mimi kept saying things like, “This is just so fun.”She added that Poppy (my dad) had even said how nice it was to see Mimi so happy.

My mom is a hardworking giver. She gives and does and rarely thinks of herself. Knowing she had this simple, good day-filled with grandkids, play, and the small joys that come from spending time with the people you love, made me so happy.

No timelines. No duties. No obligations.

Just a plain, fun day.

So today, on your birthday, Mom, I wish you more days like that, the kind that fill the people around you with happiness simply because you’re happy.

You deserve that.

Where In The World Am I Writing From: Home…on the night before my Mom’s birthday.