It has become a bit of a sore paw for me because my mother died in 2009, so I have no one to celebrate. My mother wasn't a particularly maternal or cuddly person and after I was past the macaroni necklace stage, Mother's Day was a bit of a minefield. Things were peachy as long as I figured out exactly what she wanted, but not so rosy if I guessed wrong. And there were never any clear messages about what she wanted. However, no matter what your personal experience with your mother was, you still wish you had the perfect Hallmark relationship that you could enjoy together, and I miss being able to give my mother a hug and a kiss. I don't recall my brother being actively involved in Mother's Day, other than sending her a card, but of course he lives in another province.
We will be driving to my husband's home town tomorrow to take his mother out for lunch and bring her here overnight. My brother in law and his girlfriend will be meeting her, and taking her to spend the night with them and driving her home tomorrow. She is no longer capable of driving and will enjoy the outing and spending time with her sons.
It's very difficult to avoid the topic of Mother's Day because of all the advertising and hoopla that have sprung up around it. What started as a sincere gesture towards a beloved mother has changed into a commercial occasion. Whether we realize it or not, the constant mention of the date has morphed into a certain level of expectation, which our children may not wish to live up to. There is so much pressure today to provide a "perfect" experience for so many occasions: Christmas, Mother's or Father's Day, Thanksgiving and Easter seem to have almost become obligations instead of reasons to enjoy our families.
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