Cranky on Mother’s Day

I've thought about this for the last few years (it usually hits me at the end of the day on Mother’s Day)... 

On past Mother's Days, I have ended up being cranky about having to do things for my family that I would usually do without any thought or complaint.  Mother's Day is wonderful - don't get me wrong - I like to be appreciated, and I think our families do and should show us appreciation on that day especially.  But, I also think we moms set ourselves up for disappointment because we want to take the day off and do away with our responsibilities, and maybe have come to expect Mother's Day to be a relaxing, no-cares, kind of day.  Due to the nature of motherhood, we can’t take 100% of the day off.  In fact, it always seems that on Mother's Day we moms find ourselves in situations where extra mothering is needed.  Let’s face it, when Mom is home and not doing her regular, everyday things, the kids’ day gets a bit disoriented, and they get upset and might quarrel a more than usual.  

Now that my kids are getting older, and as Nathan gets closer to moving-out age, I have started to realize that, on Mother's Day, instead of getting upset that I didn't get the day off, I want to appreciate that I get to be a mother and do all of these little things for my family, like combing hair, finding socks, ironing clothes, hurrying people out the door.

As Mother’s Day began on Sunday, I wasn’t thinking about this.  My family had made me cards and given them to me the day before.  Nathan decided he and Dad were going to make hash browns for everyone in the morning, as a gift to me.  After breakfast, as we were getting ready for church, I started to have to do more of the work, and I began to get a little resentful.  Not much, but a little.  This probably would have continued to build throughout the day, as I fixed lunch for everyone, etc. if it weren’t for a lovely reminder that I received at church.

I was out in the hall with Joshua when I saw a mom and her child.  The child was looking like she had been misbehaving a bit and that wonderful mom looked like she had been pushed to her limits already.  I imagined that this was not what she had had in mind for her special day.  When she was supposed to be appreciated for all efforts and love, she was being asked to problem solve and discipline. She looked harried - worn out.  But what I also saw was the beauty of motherhood!  Here was a mom, mothering her child.  And I thought to myself, “Isn’t this moment exactly what Mother’s Day is all about?”  This little child needed her mommy.  And I smiled.  

Whether in good times or bad times, we get to mother our children.  What a blessing!  When they have been rotten and we would like to have it easy, it’s still a blessing.  Instead of trying to push mothering away from us on Mother’s Day, we can embrace it and appreciate it.  We can find joy in the things that we have to do each day.  And we can say to ourselves, “I get to _______ for my children today, what a perfect thing to do on a day like today.”

After church, I came home and kids started asking, “What can I have for lunch?”,  “Is there anything else I can have?”,  “Will you make it for me?”, and I started to feel that grumpy feeling emerge.  My first thought was, “Hey, your supposed to be making lunch for me.  Or at least not asking me to make your lunch.”  Then my mind went back to earlier, and that scene  with the mom and her child.  And I had this great swell of love and appreciation for what Mother’s all over the world do everyday.  I appreciate that you take care of and love your children.  That you teach them and help them grow up to be kind, responsible adults.  Mom’s are awesome!  You are awesome!