For Mother’s Day every year, I try to relax and enjoy myself.  It’s my holiday, right?  Out of 365 days in a year, I take time off from parental duty on my birthday and Mother’s Day.  Well, I still make meals and do maybe a load of laundry (reluctantly, of course) but I have coffee in bed (delivered to me by two of the cutest room service attendants ever – my kids!) and I only do things with them that day that I want to do. And trust me, this is totally out of the norm. I have been known to throw out a whole schedule of chores or plans to accommodate an impromptu request to go to the beach or the mall.

In any event, the day before I prepare my children for my mini-holiday by requesting they tell me any errands they need done so I can totally enjoy a day without my things-to-do list. I don’t need fancy presents or dinners out; I just require peace and quiet.  I love the gifts they make at school and treasure those always.  Truth be told, they have more meaning than a store bought item and I think most people would agree on that.  This year as I am giving my speech about how Mother’s Day is like my birthday, my son Zachary chimes in, “That’s not fair that you get a special day.  We don’t get a holiday.  We should get a Kid’s Day!”  This was said so innocently that I had to laugh.  “What Zac?  Are you serious?  Every day is kid’s day,”  I replied.  He retorted, “No, it isn’t.”  Say what? 

I have given some thought to his request for a special holiday.  Sometimes I chuckle to myself and other times, I shake my head in disbelief.  As children, we have no concept of how good we have it.  No one’s childhood is perfect but it is certainly more carefree than being an adult, for the most part.  I caught sight of the paper bouquet that he made for me last Mother’s Day and read his answers to the writing prompts again.  I thought of him working away at his desk at school, trying so hard to come up with answers that would please me.  Maybe he is on to something with a day that celebrates kids?  Maybe we should skip all the formality and just enjoy each other each and every day….all of it….the pranks, the complaints, the calls from the principal’s office (trust me, there is little joy in these).  One prank I won’t forget is when my two kids secretly and vigorously shook a bottle of cranberry ginger ale and then asked for a glass.  Had I been remotely astute, I would have seen the mischievous grins and glances to one another.  Of course, when I opened it, red liquid exploded everywhere and I mean everywhere!  And yes, my kitchen is white.  They were in total hysterics.  With ginger ale drenching my hair, shirt, cabinets, all I could do was hear their laughter and I started laughing and said,  “Good one.  That was clever.”  Enjoy your special day and every day as a mother!  Happy Mother’s Day!

Words of sweetness and sincerity