Average Jane's Thoughts on Mother's Day

My mother died in 1998, so time has smoothed the sharp edges off the pangs of sadness I used to feel every year when I'd start getting email suggesting where I should take my mother for Mother's Day or what kind of gift she would want. Still, this time of year makes me wistful because of all of the hype around a holiday that has nothing to do with me at all.

Mother's Day advertising is everywhere right now, which may be why I had a dream about my mother last night. I dreamt that I was on a shuttle bus going to meet her at a hotel in another city so we could have a vacation together. The problem was, I didn't know which hotel it was and I kept wracking my brain to think of her cell phone number, but I couldn't come up with it.

When I woke up, it occurred to me that of course I didn't know my mom's cell phone number. She never had a cell phone when she was alive. 

I'm happy that there's a holiday to honor mothers even though I'm not one. I'll probably spend it playing with my kid subsitutes, a.k.a. our cats and dog. Maybe I'll score a flower or a little box of candy if I go out to eat someplace where they have a scattershot Mother's Day to-do that includes every woman who looks like she could possibly be a mom. That's pretty much all I can do.

Comments

[East Coast Girl]

I know what you mean - I got an email from a vacuum co reminding me that I only had 2 wks to choose a gift for Mom - as if she would just LOVE a vacuum for her big day!

It has been over 25 yrs since I lost my Mom, but I still think of her on holidays. You don't have to have given birth to enjoy Mother's Day - you can still go out and celebrate your Mom, maybe with your sister, and share your favorite memories of her!

[Faith]

This post hits home for me. I, too, have been without my mom since 1998. Those first few years without her, getting emails from places like flower companies, and whatnot, reminding me almost every day that Mother's Day was coming!!! were just painful to the core. I actually wrote one of the companies once, the year after she died. I was just too painful to let it go. They were emailing me every week for a month before the holiday, and it was TOO MUCH.

I'm buying my twin a present this year. I found something that made me think of her and her girls, and that made me think about buying Mother's Day/Father's Day gifts for ALL of my siblings this year...I didn't get them Christmas presents, so this will kinda make up for it, I hope. :D

Anyway, solidarity, and all that good stuff. You aren't alone. :)