Easy as Apple Pie

So, our classroom phone rings about 5:00 this afternoon and I answer, "Hello, Sanislo Elementary, Kindergarten."
The response, "Hello, this is your daughter....." and I grin ear to ear. These rare spontaneous phone calls from my 20 year old daughter melt my heart. "How many apples do you put in an apple pie? I don't have much time on my phone."
I respond theatrically, "Oh so I have a daughter!" and I smile informatively at my team teaching partner. "Well, a gentle mound." (I'm moving my hand in the air above an imaginary pie.) as I respond to Honey Girl. "And don't forget to vent the crust! And why no time on the phone?"
The Honey Girl sighs, "It's scav weekend and I made, oh, like 20 phone calls to friends driving to Kansas."
Me, momentarily befuddled says, "HUH?" and then it dawns, this is the annual scavenger hunt at U of Chicago.
Contrast that with:
I'm at the gym in the early morning (I work out at 5:30am, almost religiously). In the shower room is a mother and teen aged daughter. This is a VERY small gym; only two shower heads. I am out of the shower, they go in. I am dressing, the young girl and her mom go into the shower, the water turns on but it does not drown out the conversation.
The Mom says, "Open your eyes, you can't shower in your sleep!"
The daughter mumbles, groans and says with increasing volume "I HATE this! It is NEVER, NEVER going to happen again!"
The Mom begins shushing her in a panicked voice, "Shh, shh, shh, get it together! You help with the bills and it won't happen."
It dawns on me; bills, showers...they must have had a water shut off. Dignity, they must have dignity. I want to be invisible; especially for the daughter. I manage the usual pleasantry of "Bye, have a good day." as the mom enters the locker room and I am making my exit. I feel hypocritical saying those words, knowing that their day is probably nowhere near 'good'.
This Mother's Day weekend enjoy time with your daughters and time with your mother but think too of the women who struggle and let's do what we can to give them our support.