I don’t actually mind the so called ‘Hallmark’ holidays. Having a day to remind you to stop and appreciate your sig
nificant other, mother, father what have you, is overall I think a good thing. However, I do sympathize with those who dislike such holidays. It can put a lot of pressure on one day and it can be easy for many to feel left out.
For me, this mother’s day was… I can’t think of the right word, so perhaps I’ll just explain. When I woke up, I just wasn’t feeling well. I had a huge headache and was so emotionally fragile I wouldn’t be surprised if I made people wonder if I was pregnant. I recognized that I was grumpy, irritable and emotional, but sometimes having this level of introspection gets you no closer to being able to control these feelings.
That is not a good start. On top of that, my only child is 2. He doesn’t have a clue about what mother’s day is about. My husband, has many wonderful qualities but he is not likely to help my son do cute mother’s day crafts or anything or tell me just to put my feet up all day. Which really, I respect. I’m not his mother and he has his own mother he needs to try to make feel special that day.
So really it was just a day, and not a very good one. I didn’t even do a very good job of making my mother feel appreciated.
Now really, the day was fine. Gordie was an angel, my husband gave me a rose, and both our families had a lovely dinner together. And that is plenty to feel grateful for.
But in the end, it is just a day, and if it ends up being a bad or disappointing day it doesn’t matter. It’s just one day. Days like these are great opportunities to reflect on the important people who are or who have been in our lives but it’s best not to ascribe them too much meaning. All the other 364 days of the year are just as important. And overall? Those have been great.
I know how you feel. My day yesterday was absolute crap due to many nights of bad sleep. My husband didn’t even know it was Mother’s Day until late in the afternoon when we went to the grocery store and saw a sign. I didn’t bother to tell him because he hates holidays like this and – as I’m not his mother – I respect that (His mother on the other hand isn’t so happy about it but I made sure M made Grandma a card). I knew long ago that until the girls were in school and bringing home paper mache ashtrays for me I wouldn’t be celebrating Mother’s Day. However, it was just a really bad Sunday excacerbated by the fact that both girls were really crabby (see again: lack of sleep) and making me not happy in my mommyhood.
I really do try to appreciate all the good days as a mom (and as a person).