How Not to “Bah, Humbug!” Mother’s Day
- artwithelida
- 12 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Some years back, I looked at the calendar and realized that the mostly man-run industry of youth baseball had scheduled an entire tournament on Mother’s Day. I was so disappointed. Since mothers are on “mom duty” every other day of the year, I stupidly (insert sarcasm) believed that it should be a special day that was all about me. Still, I dutifully raced over to the game from an art show in my stiletto boots to cheer my son on.
I found a place in the bleachers and sat down. As I looked over at the other moms, however, my shoulders slumped. There she was — Mom-of-the-Century — wearing her baseball cap, a sweatshirt that said, “Baseball Mom,” chewing on sunflower seeds, and sitting on a lawn chair under the pop-up tent. Beside her sat a huge cooler full of snacks for all of the kids. She leaned back and let out a huge sigh of satisfaction, saying, “I can’t think of anything better to do than watching my boy play ball on my special day!”
I felt so guilty. Was I wrong in wanting to have some time for me?
I used to dread Mother’s Day because of that roller coaster of emotions. Expecting my kids and my significant other to honor me and treat me like a queen for one day of the year. Only to be followed by intense disappointment because the day was eaten up by kids’ activities, arguments, or a total lack of regard for all the ways I give to my family all of the other days of the year.
Finally, I decided to take Mother’s Day into my own hands. I stopped putting expectations on my kids or myself and began booking things that I wanted to do. If I missed my kid’s stuff, well, it’s just one day and they can deal with it. No guilt! I’ve booked myself a spa day, kayaked, hiked, eaten lunch with my mom at a winery and had a date day with myself at my favorite restaurant. The idea is that I stopped doing what was expected and started to really treasure myself. I gave myself permission to be a little selfish for one day and the result has been amazing! Plus, my kids are relieved that they aren’t pressured to plan something.
Even if you aren’t a mom, giving yourself permission to have some time away is really important. As women, we often lose ourselves in nurturing others. As I’m getting older (and wiser), I realize that when I slow down and take time for myself, I’m better at everything else, including being a mom!
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