Mother’s Day in the USA is right around the corner. Stores have decked their shelves with fragrant blossoms and rose hued greeting cards. The hottest restaurants in town have special event reservations booked through the entire weekend anticipating the arrival of children (young and old) and their mothers with mimosas and bellinis on tap.

While the traditional Mother’s Day scene is expected, let’s not forget to celebrate all mothers (not just the obvious). Carrying and birthing a child is hard work but it does not make motherhood just as being a woman does not make a mother.

A mother is any strong, loving, caring, nurturing presence in you life that you can depend on to lift you up when life is rocky and keep you grounded when it’s smooth. This can be a birth parent, an adoptive parent, a transgender parent, an aunt, a friend or a grandmother. It could even be (wait for it…) a man that fills that role.

This will be my family’s second Mother’s Day to celebrate two mothers. I am so proud to share this special day with such a wonderful and loving transgender wife. She may not have not physically given birth to our daughter but she has loved, cared for, and nurtured M’s her heart and spirit introducing her to a greater level of compassion and understanding for all people regardless of gender identity or sexuality. My wife has lit the spark of curiosity in M that inspires her to explore our universe through science and math (subjects I have passion but little expertise). My transgender wife is just as much a mother as I am.

This year, we agreed not to exchange gifts (as swapping one $50 gift for another one of the same value seems to cancel itself out) but I did sneak to the grocery store this morning to get her a greeting card to open on Mother’s Day. Usually, I have to settle on a standard Husband to Wife card and find some way to make it work for us by crossing out ‘man’ and drawing some flowery stuff on it. To my surprise this morning, while rummaging through mismatched greeting cards and envelopes, I found a new category of Hallmark greeting cards called Wife to Wife right above the Husband to Wife cards. I was so shocked and comforted that a simple card company made the effort to be more inclusive of all its customers (and me!). With help from Hallmark, this Mother’s Day will be even more special. See the photos below.

In fact, Hallmark has a new line of greeting cards for LGBTQIA families that include cards for wives, husbands, and transgender folks. They even made a Trans-tastic card.

Look in your local drug store or greeting card store or even order online and share the love!
Happy Mother’s Day to Everyone!