A Mother's Day Submission I Wrote

I am pleasantly surprised by my feelings and ability to write about Mother's Day.  Prior feelings I've had on Mother's Day have been forgotten and replaced with joy and gratitude.  I never liked Mother's Day because it seemed that our mom expected to be celebrated on that one day of the year when the rest of the days were not what we would consider ideal in the relationship department.  As I got older, worked through my issues, and then became a mother, it still sickened me to celebrate for celebration's sake.  I didn't want to be celebrated because I wondered if I would have the same legacy where my kids wouldn't think I deserved to be celebrated because I wasn't doing the job 24-7-365.  This most likely sounds horrible to anyone reading, but I struggled through this for a few years while the truth whispered to me.  I ended up hearing the truth;  I wasn't making the same mistakes my mom had made, I was giving my best every day, and my relationship with my babies and my husband was completely different.  As a result of changing my perception, I have gone from a queasy stomach on Mother's Day to a heart full of gratitude.  I still don't enjoy the focus and attention on this one day (I think we should be doing the best we can do every day), nor do I think I am perfect (far from it), but I understand the importance of stopping to remember and be grateful (I even have some gratitude for my own mom).  


The following is a short piece I submitted to our Relief Society Newsletter at church.  The prompts were memories of mom, grandma, etc., what I love about being a mom, or something my kids have done for me on Mother's Day.  My thoughts didn't go predictably with any of the prompts, but in the end, I wrote about how I feel about Mother's Day and being a mom.  It was well-received and included in the newsletter, and I wanted to put it here in the blog for journaling purposes.

When Mother's Day, 2008 was about a week a way, I realized that for the first time in my life I had no mother or mother-in-law to celebrate.  There were no gifts to buy, no cards to pick out and no special gifts to help the kids create for Grandma.  Although I felt the loss of my mothers that year, I knew I still had much to celebrate.  Mother's Day shifted to a day of reflection that year and has remained ever since.  I find peace and joy reflecting on my own mothers, my grandmothers, my aunts and the blessings they've been in my life, and most importantly, how deeply grateful I am to have the opportunity to be a mother to my children.  Being a mother has allowed me to heal, to love deeply, to teach, to nurture, to learn and to feel a Divine connection as the Spirit whispers and helps me raise each daughter in the unique way needed.  I do not take motherhood for granted.  Each night when I sing to my girls and tuck them in, and each morning when I look upon their sleepy faces, I am filled with a joy that is beyond description.  I need no presents or recognition when the second Sunday in May arrives--every single day is "Mother's Day" for me.  I will spend next Sunday reflecting, pondering deeply, and offering prayers gratitude to my Father in Heaven for the privilege of both having had great mothers and for being one myself.

Things That Bug

Currently, there are some minor things out there that are striking the annoying string on my little happy harp. These things were on my mind, and I thought I'd record them. No offense whatsoever is meant to anyone who does not see an issue with any of these topics. It will most likely be entertaining for my grandchildren to read what their grandmother was waxing neurotic about back in 2011. How old fashioned they'll think their old granny was.

1. The name or discussion of Christ being taboo. Two of my friends have children in lead roles in a high school drama production that consists of a montage of romantic/love scenes from various stage plays. One of the scenes cast involves two high school boys in a gay relationship. Whether you think this is great or not, it's raising flags for me about the range of topics that are publicly acceptable to introduce to our children in a public forum. Go with me here for a minute...For years public education has included many, many diverse celebrations and topics -- Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Las Posadas, the belief in Santa Claus around the world, Leprechauns, the Easter Bunny, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Presidents' holidays, Flag Day, Cinco de Mayo (not even a holiday in Mexico!), Muslim and Islamic traditions, and the inclusion of all types of families (which will now include gay couples). The text books still site chimpanzees as our "ancestors". Nowhere, absolutely no where (except in a portion of the 7th grade social studies textbook which is the last chapter and consequently dropped if the school year ends before they get to it), or on any planet do we teach our kids about Christ. It's simply not allowed. Those who believe in Christ and lead Christ-centered lives are being left out of the instruction. Believe what you will, but lemme tell ya something...our neglect of the topic of Christianity isn't making the world a better place people.

2. The new hot chocolate packets with "a cup of coffee's worth of caffeine" in them. If I wanted my warm beverage to have caffeine in it, I'd have a cup of coffee. Leave my hot chocolate alone! Enough said.

3. Teens and children with cell phones. I get that they need a cell phone, which replaces the dime or quarter their parent's and grandparents used to never leave home without, and I'm not knocking that. But is anyone else nervous about the fact that the cell phone, complete with data package that links directly to Facebook, internet and email, is resembling, on some kids, a physical extension of the thumbs and seems to monopolize said young person's attention when they are somewhere they could actually being enjoying family, friends or activities? It makes me sad, but there isn't much we can do to stop the tide except to beware for ourselves and our kids.