Mother's Day. . .

As a child I don't remember these, probably at all. As a teenager I told my mother that I didn't understand the point. Now, I admit, I do get it--a little.

I grew up mostly with one parent. My mother. I don't know how she did it, but thankfully, she did it pretty well since I think I turned out OK (I do have my issues that might stem from only having one parent though). When I told her I thought Mother's Day was a stupid holiday, I did make her cry. I didn't mean to, but no one was there when I was growing up to explain it to me.

Mother's Day doesn't have to be extravagant. We mothers don't want it to be. We just want a simple day that expresses the love of our children and spouses. We would like to relax with breakfast in bed made by our children, maybe have handmade cards or gifts and a day together with the ones we love. We don't want to cook, clean, do laundry or even argue with the kids. Just a peaceful day.


This year I thought it was not a big deal. I did make sure I didn't have to work, as my kids usually have fun with it. I didn't ask my husband if he had plans or any hints as to what I was thinking. This was a mistake.

I heard on the radio a couple of days before Sunday this lady that didn't have children of her own but did have a step-daughter. The girl had come home from school one day last week excited to show her what she had made for her mom. She had not made anything for her step-mom. Her step-mom did not showed her disappointment, rather her excitement in the nice gift she had made. On the radio, she expressed her true feelings: sadness. She was unable to have her own children and thought of her step-daughter as her daughter. She, too, would like to have been thought of at Mother's Day by her step-daughter.

I realized I have been taking for granted this special day by not acknowledging it's importance.

I didn't share my new thoughts with my husband, and I paid for it. In the past I complained about cut flowers costing too much and they just die and told him not to get me anything, including cards, because they too cost too much. So this year, I was not met with breakfast in bed or gifts from my children. I had complained too much. Scott didn't want to feel like he had failed again.

I am thankful, because my kids made homemade cards at church and Logan made a book about me at school. I will cherish these for years to come. Hopefully, I will also learn to be more open with my thoughts and feelings in the future, because if I don't, it's only me who's losing out.

I also hope that Scott and I can teach our children to be better, together. Parents are to be loved and cherished because one day they may not be here and be a part of our lives.