As I was thinking about how to explain Mother’s Day, I was
struck by how my ideal seems to have changed over the last year. It didn’t help my
attitude that poor Anthony woke up sick (literally) and spent the better part
of the day feeling miserable and that the weather was pretty crummy by the time
we tried to get outside. However, it was those factors that made me realize
that every day really is Mother’s Day.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t have loved to
sit around and read trashy novels on the couch and eat bon-bons but that isn’t
life. At least not for this mom! Instead, I am caretaker, fixer of all things
that break (both living and plastic), cleaner of the house and all that it
contains and the one who is supposed to know where everything is and how we are
going to get everything done.
For me, this is my new reality. For me, I enjoy it – for the
most part. Don’t get me wrong, I get tired of the monotony and routine of daily
life but it sure does help all of us to have one. The irony is that spending
Mother’s Day doing what I normally do reminded me that being a mom isn’t
glamorous or fancy. It is what it is – life. As I sat there rocking Anthony and
trying to console him while listening to Chase play with Jack and Graham, I was
reminded that being a mom isn’t supposed to be glamorous or fancy. Being a mom
means being the one who knows how to soothe a sick child and still manage to
fix lunch and do the laundry. For me, being a mom is life and I celebrate it in
little ways every day, not just on the one that Hallmark says we should. Of
course, I don’t object to my husband being reminded to do something a little
special for me! I hope everyone out there who plays a ‘mother’ role had an
amazing day – whether you were celebrating surrounded by people or in an
intimate setting.
Happy Mother’s Day 2012!
