I always prided myself on the fact that my family of birth didn't celebrate Mother's Day, though I'm not quite sure why. That is, I'm not quite sure why we didn't celebrate it, nor am I quite sure why I was so proud of the fact. It's not like I'm anti-Hallmark holidays--we go over the top for Valentine's Day. I guess I just thought (and I think my mother thought before me) that the whole thing was a bit hypocritical: dump on mom for 364 days of the year and then dump flowers on her the second Sunday in May.
I maintained the anti-Mother's Day stance for a few years into my own maternity, but then came the hegemony of babysitters, preschool, and now public school, where from May 1 on, the efforts of small children seem wholly devoted to producing cards and baubles with which to appreciate their mothers. And now I have succumbed. I don't even feebly whisper "but we don't celebrate Mother's Day..." It's inescapable. Besides, it makes the children so happy. Especially when they get to have secrets from me.
So this morning, when M and I came back from our weekly Sunday morning swim practice (M)/run (me)/buy the New York Times (us) expedition, I had to wait on the porch till they were ready. Then both girls ushered me in to a kitchen table that held cinnamon biscuits (my request), flowers (picked out by E on a secret Sunday morning expedition with S), a card from E that said "DEAR MOM, I HOPE YOU HAVE A FUN MOTHER'S DAY" (apparently S wrote out the words and E copied them in about three minutes), a paper box M made in school with a different line about me on each side (an interesting thing about me is that I've been to more than ten countries; something I do is take care of M and E) except for the side where she'd drawn a picture of me in my pink shirt and lipstick (her favorite look), and inside the box four chocolate kisses (two dark chocolate and two caramel, she specified) and Fimo earrings she'd made herself. And M says she has a present for me for every meal.
So Happy Mother's Day Grandma and Grammy! And I'm sorry I can't share my chocolate kisses with you, but M and E already ate them.
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we were the same way about Mother's Day, and I too have completely succumbed. Nick couldn't wait, though, and gave me his gift when he got home from school with it on Thursday (magnets with his picture, a card with a poem). I love this stuff. Can't help it.
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