There is a fine line between reporting the facts and sounding like a bitter old woman. So I am starting with the things I truly love about Mother’s Day, followed by a list of the things I hate. I do love more things about it. Here’s to ambivalence.
Things I Loved About Mother’s Day:1. I love being a Mom. It is the best job a woman could have and I would never trade it for anything in the world.
2. The adorable Primary Children. Singing songs in Sacrament Meeting about Mother’s while waving hand-made crepe paper flowers is the best! I miss those little gifts from Primary.
3. Sarah making a fabulous dinner of whatever I wanted, Rachel making cake, and Rob cleaning up after it all.
4. Bob bought me shirts at Cabella’s. They don’t fit. He over estimated how much weight I have lost, plus women’s sizings are so random so it is a bit of a crap shoot to buy clothes for women. In men’s sizes a 40" waist is 40"; in women’s clothes a L can range anywhere from a M to a XL, not to mention what 2, 4, 6, etc. are really from one brand to another. But that’s OK. I can return them and get something else. It is the thought that counts.
5. Sarah brought me flowers – I love day lilies. Kathleen gave me the necklace she bought for herself. It is adorable; I think she should keep it.
6. The girls all came to church with me. It was so nice to sit in Sacrament meeting with almost all my children. I really missed Robbie.
Things I Hate about Mother’s Day:1. I miss my own mother terribly. I always felt that Mother’s day was for her, not me. Mom died when I still had really little kids and one on the way. Now, there is no one to ask about all those menopause questions I have and I ask my doctor about and he says "well, what was your mother’s experience" and I say, "I don’t know because she’s dead!!"
2. Aunt Stella died on Mother’s day 1991, ruining it forever (if it ever really was OK). Stella never married so was always really sad on Mother’s Day. We always had to make a big fuss over her so her sadness wouldn’t take over. Her sister, my grandmother (who died much too young also – probably one of the reasons my Mom hated MD), always felt that if you can’t be nice to me the other 364 days a year, don’t go thinking a big fuss one day will make up for it. Anyway, in her 101st year, Aunt Stella passed away. I always think about that every MD.
3. I don’t enjoy sitting in Sacrament listening to men tell stories of their beloved sainted mothers – even if I knew the women and they were truly saints. If you want me to have a great day, let me go home an hour early – or better yet, start an hour later. An extra hour of sleep would be one of the greatest MD presents a woman could get. However, Sacrament meeting did have a little comic relief when Bob forgot to announce the choir number and Elder Dave Stanley called out, "Bob, did you want the choir to sing?" Bob was just testing them to see if they were paying attention. And besides he is the new guy.
4. I had to clean up dog pee!! But how is that different than any other day. I hate that dog.
5. The morning after MD. I hate my dishwasher. It was really full and we rinse the dishes pretty well, and as usual while I wait for Kathleen to come down for school, I empty it. About 1/3 of the dishes were not really clean. Earlier this morning, Bob called after he left for tennis – I thought "Holy Crap!! Who is calling at this ungodly hour of 6 am!!!" It is never good news. Apparently, the wind knocked over the garbage can and it appeared as though some random animal dragged bags out of the can and spread it all over the parking strip. Bob told me to get Rob up to do it, but I can’t seem to do that. I’d rather do it myself and have something to bitch about all day long than make my kids do something. I deserve all my troubles. Kathleen did get to school on time today though.
Well, only 364 days until I have to do this again. There is my birthday on the 25th. Being 53 is always something to celebrate.
