As a new mom to a four-month-old and my first official Mother’s Day right around the corner, my loving husband keeps asking, “what do you want for Mother’s Day?” This is a very thoughtful, sweet sentiment, but in all honesty, it’s kind of stressing me out! I don’t really want anything materialistic: Cards, flowers, pictures frames, handprints in clay, perfume, all of these “things” are great, but truth be told… what do we really want ladies? Some peace and quiet for a couple of hours! How does a relaxing, stress-free day sound?
My sister-in-law has this down to a science. She is a wonderful mother of 4 boys… 7, 8, 12, and 15-years-old and every Mother’s Day her husband takes the boys to a Dodger game. She stays behind, gets a pedicure, catches up on her soaps, soaks in a bubble-bath, and takes a nap. Now, before I became a mom I always wondered why doesn’t she go to the baseball game with her family? Doesn’t she want to spend Mother’s Day with her kids? Why aren’t they home making her breakfast in bed, massaging her feet, and cooking her dinner? I love my new baby and couldn’t imagine hours upon hours without him, but I am exhausted. My baby doesn’t nap, so I have to be “on” All. Day. Long. Fast-forward to having 4 “grown” boys. All the rough-housing, yelling, wrestling… say they did stay home and cook her breakfast… quickly a game of football would commence in the living room. No napping. No bubble bath.
Let’s propose a new kind of Mother’s Day. Forget the card or gift that will get dusty over the years, we’ll keep the flowers because they’re beautiful, but how about we all just lower our expectations?
Don’t worry about breakfast in bed. Let us sleep in. Husbands, take the children. Even if just for a few hours. Put a vase of beautiful flowers on the kitchen table with love notes from you and the kids and hit the road. By the way the flowers don’t have to be expensive – Trader Joe’s has fabulous bouquets for less than 10 bucks! Ladies, wake up leisurely, enjoy a cup of coffee without having to wipe noses, butts, or break up fights. Dust off the latest book you’ve been trying to read for the last 4 months. Remember, our expectations are low for today, so if you barely make it through one chapter before falling asleep, don’t worry. Relax in to that slumber. Take a deep breath, in the nose… out the mouth. Close your eyes and relish being in the moment.
As we spend much of our days trying to be everything to everyone and quite possibly never feeling like we measure up, truly take this day to reflect on you. You are perfect. Just the way you are. Your children love you. Your husband loves you. Breathe in the silence. They will be home soon. Happy Mother’s Day! — Christine Pickavet
