Rob Wight

Hi all

Every year I get very frustrated with Mothers' Day. I stay away from the
shops unless necessary and throw away the junk mail unopened. I just can't
stand the message which is pushed at us of "Buy, Buy, Buy or feel GUILTY"

"Buy Mum a Microwave", "Take Mum out to lunch", "Have you got Mum's
chocolates and flowers yet?''....and so on.

I don't believe in any of this. I wonder where Mothers' Day came from
anyway. Who says we have to have a special day to appreciate our Mum, why
not just any old day? The big winner here is of course the shops. I feel
like a heretic if I mention this to anyone. My neighbour left the jeweller's
catalogue on her bench with the dinner set she wanted circled clearly so
that her husband and children would make the right choice!

The trouble is, my Mum believes all this in a big way. So I dutifully go
shopping and wander around in circles, confused and vaguely cross about the
whole thing. What can I buy for my retired affluent mother that she can't
buy for herself? She spends loads of money on flashy-flunky stuff that I
can't see the point of. I end up buying something, just a token something so
that she won't feel entirely neglected.

For myself, I tell my children not to ever feel that pressure to buy. I know
that when I am sixty, if not one of my children rang me or visited on
Mothers' Day I would feel hurt, but I never want them wandering around in
circles "having" to buy something for their Mum.

So on Mothers' Day here, the boys came in with their home-made cards - all
very individual and precious. No present, because that's the way I want it.
Mothers' Day at house is over in a half-hour.

But then for the rest of the day, I had this kind of let-down feeling. I
guess I have been conditioned to expect the TV dream of children bouncing
into the room with large beribboned gifts and proceeding to all laugh and
toss their heads as though they are in advertisements for hair commercials.
That isn't real and I know it.

Anyone else out there know what I am talking about?

Susan
-----> It was about Mother's Day.
> It was about, on my end, how Mother's Day is at my house, and on his end,
how
> it is all screwed up at his house.
>
> In the hope of making sure it was a big deal, he reminded his stepsons two
> months ago. He reminded them a month ago; nothing. He remined them two
> weeks and a week ago; nothing.
>
> That's a lot of negativity to lay as a foundation for a day on which all
the
> mom asked for was some time all alone, which she got! But meanwhile
backstag
> e the boys are set up to fail, and the step dad sees them as ungrateful
> slouches who don't appeciate their mother nor his thoughtful reminders.
>
> Here was my mother's day.
> Keith asked me Friday if there was anything I wanted to do. I said no,
maybe
> Two Towers at the dollar flick. (But Kirby and I got back too late for
that
> anyway.) We discussed that I'd be with Kirby most of the day, and he's
the
> kid who caused my motherhood to happen, so that seemed kind of
appropriate.
>
> Since I was with the other family, I was privileged to partake of a big
> breakfast of sausage-grave, biscuits and eggs all made by male people
(Kirby
> was sleeping off the prom still). I got "Happy Mother's Day" greetings
from
> some teens and the adults we were with.
>
> When we left there Kirby had already gone out for lunch with a couple of
the
> girls from the night before, and I asked him to stop at Sonic so I could
get
> something before the two hour drive. I ordered my stuff and held out
money
> to him (he was driving) and he said "No! It's Mother's Day!" and he paid
for
> my lunch at Sonic. That was not too bad.
>
> Holly met me in the yard with a big hug.
>
> Marty had bought me two bags of dark chocolate Dove miniatures.
>
> That was it, but it was every bit sweet and sincere and nobody had
reminded
> them and I wasn't going to pout if they hadn't done anything at all!! I
was
> happy to be with them and it was a good day.
>
> Sandra
>
>
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Deborah Lewis

A long time ago when Dylan was four or five and trying to remember days
of the week, he asked, "what day is it?" I said, "Sunday." He said,
"I'm a son." <G>

He gave me a little gift on Mother's day and I gave him one for Son day.

He tells me mom's have it rough, only one day a year, but son's do
alright with one every week.

He doesn't get a gift every week, but he gets a "happy Sonday", and we
all get to smile and remember. <g>

Deb L