Ok, these holidays. They kill me. Every year my husband asks me what I want for Mother’s Day and every year I say, “I want to be alone.” I end up with flowers on the countertop. Last year he plainly said, “You can’t be alone on Mother’s Day.” He thinks it is going to put our kids straight into therapy.
I’m so sorry that I am about to say out loud what all of you are thinking…maybe what we actually want for a few hours on Mother’s Day is to not be Mom…or how it is usually said in a loud tone, “MOOOOOOOMMMMM!!!” Yes, it sounds awful to say, but it’s awfully true.
No, I don’t want to eat in my bed and get crumbs on our sheets which I will later have to wash and then go clean up a messy kitchen. No, I don’t want a coupon book so I can hand you a request to do a chore I have already asked you to do. No, I don’t want a vacuum, because our spills are often so big I need a shop vac.
What I want for Mother’s Day is for you to get ready for church, find and put on your own shoes, and be waiting for me in the car, while I take a warm bath and get ready without anyone needing waffles or spreading powdered sugar all over the kitchen.
What I want is to pick out my outfit without you twisting your ankle trying on my heels.
What I want is to listen to the music I like in the car without anyone asking if they can watch the same DVD they have been watching for five years because I haven’t had the wherewithal to change out the disc.
What I would like is to have dinner with your dad, look him in the eye, and have a conversation like we used to.
What I would really like for Mother’s Day is for just a couple hours to feel like I am not mom at all. I bet by about 1 pm, I would miss your hugs, the house would look too sterile, and my car would feel too quiet. I would want to hear about Sunday school and the funny thing your friend said. I would look at your daddy and realize this crew around us is really the most beautiful scene, the most beautiful gift.
For Mother’s Day, what I would really like is the opportunity to miss you, and the opportunity to appreciate being the one you call Mom.
