A Salute to Mothers on Mother’s Day

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silhouette of mother and children
Photo by dylan nolte on Unsplash

Mother’s Day is upon us and if you’re anything like our family, you knew it was coming but you procrastinated to the point where there’s no time left. It wouldn’t be Mother’s Day without a significant amount of scrambling.

Mother’s Day is intended to be chaotic by nature. Our mothers are the people in our lives that keep us on track. They are the ones who make sure we’re well, that we’re on time, that we’ve done all our daily grooming rituals, that we’ve been fed for the day, and who send us out into the world with praise and confidence. They let us know we’re loved and that we can do anything we put our minds to.

Then, Mother’s Day comes along. We are expected to celebrate these super-humans by showing we can do all of these things ourselves. We are expected to, perhaps, bring them breakfast in bed. Or we need to have enough foresight and planning to purchase (or make) a small token of our appreciation. We intend to let them rest and enjoy their day but they do so much for us; it’s impossible to think all this will just come together on their own.

Of course, we expect this will all just happen. These things have always taken care of themselves all the other days of the year but little do we realize, these things are actually being coordinated by those special women in our lives.

The Reality of Mother’s Day

On the morning of the day, our mothers patiently wait in their rooms as they hear the kitchen being turned into a disaster zone while we attempt to cook them breakfast. We bring our creations to them in bed only to spill the coffee, tea and orange juice all over their prized bedding. We serve them burnt toast dripping in peanut butter and jelly. They are treated to undercooked, slimy eggs and overcooked, hard-as-rock sausages. They gracefully move this abomination to the side as they enjoy the smiling faces of those who have worked so hard but yet have accomplished so little. They continue to be polite and supportive of all the efforts put into the creation even though they secretly know there is a gargantuan mess that will need to be cleaned up…likely by themselves.

Next, come the gifts. The husbands lavish their wives with gifts of appreciation in an attempt to apologize for all the childcare neglect they have provided throughout the year. The children present their creations from school proud of what can be accomplished with toilet paper rolls, cotton balls, construction paper and glue. Mothers, being the super-beings they are, show an overwhelming appreciation for the creativity exhibited by their children. They smile and compliment their spawn placing these creations on display throughout their house. Even after the day is done, these creations get stored as keepsakes to be periodically brought out and looked at with a sense of nostalgia.

Once noon hits, the festivities come to a close or at least diminish significantly. Our mothers then get themselves ready for the day, clean up the mess left in the kitchen, and proceed to get the family back on track.

Appreciation for our Mothers

While we may not be capable of showing our true appreciation for our mothers, we try to show them we love them, always. We know they will be there for us regardless of what is going on in our lives. I’m almost 50 and I still lean on my Mom when things get rough. She listens to my tales of woe and tells me how things will be ok. She tells me that no matter what I’m going through, she is there for me. She has years of wisdom and knows when I need words of encouragement or even a bit of a reality check. I know that I can tell my Mom anything and that she will never judge me…at least, not to my face.

I think this is a trait most mothers have. I see this in my wife. Even when our kids are arguing, yelling, or even outright disrespecting her, she responds with love, kindness and support. On those days I want to “end” my kids, she simply expresses her disappointment, letting them know that she’s still there for them and will love them always. My wife wouldn’t hurt a living thing…unless it’s a spider. Spiders deserve what they get.

To all the mothers out there. Thank you for your support, your love, and your encouragement. You will always be special to us and will always have a place in our hearts. I hope you enjoy your day and I think I speak for all of us when I say…sorry about the sheets. Hopefully, that stain will come out.

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