I’ve never been the kind of girl who has to run with the crowd. Nor have I ever been particularly afraid to do that, if the crowd is running in the direction I’m going. Today I’m going where a lot of blog writers are going – toward Motherhood.
It’s Mother’s Day weekend. I love this weekend, even when it’s weird. Why, of course. I’d be happy to share with you some things that make it weird.
* Hearing the talk in church, given by a teenage girl who sasses her mom both behind her back and to her face, wherein she catalogs her mom’s angelic traits to the extent that I’m pretty sure the mom wrote the talk for her. That is funny, but, well, you know, weird.
* Never going a single Mother’s Day without a mother (figure) – even the first year after my mom died. My dad was already remarried by May. I was that sassy teenager, in fact, who was asked to give the talk in church. I remember almost nothing about that day, but Dad tells me that I said in my talk, “I have two mothers who love me.” What a nice thing to say. Even if it was, possibly, a little weird. (True, though. Lucky, aren’t I?)
* The Dinner. The one where we go to Grandma’s house and eat all the good food that for some reason the moms are not supposed to prepare. (Because this is Their Day.) So I either make my offering the day before, or stand at attention to “help” make whatever we’re assigned (that’s me, right there, pointing out when to stop adding flour to the roll dough), or just clean up the mess that’s left behind.
* The minute in church when someone asks all the mothers to stand, and my heart snags for the very outnumbered few women remaining in their seats, heads bowed and trying to ignore the candy/flower/CD being passed to every other woman. That part has nothing to love. Nothing. It’s only painful, and possibly my best personal application of that “survivor guilt” psychology. But even through hating it, I learn something. Something about the depth of grace and the heart of a friend.
And there are other things to love about Mother’s Day – even without weirdness. I love breakfast in bed. Even the one time my precious Husband made French Toast with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar on it. How was he supposed to know the difference between my containers of powdered sugar and cornstarch, anyway? I love how hard he works to surprise me with a gift. I’m not the easiest person to surprise, so it’s sort of amazing when I’m floored by my present. (In fact, some years it’s stunning to even receive anything – a big enough surprise to last months and months.)
My Kids are growing up. Really fast. Gone are the years of Mother’s Day handprint-paintings, Froot Loops necklaces, and Play-doh flowers. Now, instead, I get sincere notes of gratitude, and sometimes chocolate. I get to spend the day surrounded by the people who made me a mother in the first place, and there is nowhere I would rather be.
Happy Mother’s Day.
(4) Comments for this blog
In our ward they give out treats to all the women. And I understand and even appreciate the kindness behind it. But surely they realize that the women who otherwise would have remained in their seats feel just as marginalized? They know how the discussions went: “We don’t want Sister So-and-So to feel bad, so let’s give half-dead geraniums to everyone.”
I love being a mother, and a woman. But I’m not a big fan of the Mother’s Day program in church.
I don’t remember too many fond memories of my own mother, add in being a mother myself it is indeed a strange sort of day. One of the things I wrote in my post today, mentioned the definition of mother as someone with maternal tenderness and affection. If that’s true, then there are all kinds of mother’s out there. People who are basically decent human beings who take someone under their wing, shelter them and show compassion. (Hugs)Indigo
Ugh, I am speaking tomorrow in church. I am really uptight about it, but I think I have a good angle. And a few lighthearted moments.
I love the cornstarch mistake. Man, that would have tasted nasty!
Becca, you are an awesome mother! I hope you have a great Mother’s Day! =)