Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - The most fun I ever had on Mother's Day was in Yelapa in the late 1980's, when the community provided a luncheon at the Yelapa Yacht Club. The tables were beautifully decorated with vases of flowers, and in the center of each table were three bottles - a bottle of tequila, a bottle of rum, and a bottle of brandy. Oh my!

The village children provided heart warming entertainment. Dressed in traditional costumes from the state of Jalisco, they danced and sang songs dedicated to their Mothers. It was a lively party, to say the least, and very well attended.

For me the most remarkable part was seeing generations of women from local families, all dressed up in their Sunday best, laughing and talking, dancing, singing, and, well, drinking. My goodness! I know for a fact that most of those matriarchs, women of quiet, serious dignity, only drink alcohol once or twice a year. But they sure knew how to let loose and have a great time, and they absolutely insisted their Gringa friends join in the fun. We were completely welcomed into the celebration. By the end of the afternoon, all who were still ambulatory were out on the dance floor, practically collapsing with laughter.

I will never forget that Mother's Day celebration, and how the most stoic of the Yelapa matriarchs let their hair down and danced and sang, making sure us gringas, who were missing our children in the U.S., were included in the fun.