Happy Mother's Day? The Gift of Time

I rank Mother's Day up there with Valentine's Day...way over hyped...way over rated and way over priced. The only people that win are hallmark cards, florists and restaurants. It was originally intended to unite mother's against war and has just became another way to set unrealistic expectations on everyone. Now, before you go in to a panic...my philosophy is simple...you better be nice to me 364 days a year too and not just pick one day to go out of your way. And, for the record, we call Labor Day and Memorial Day weekends in our house, "amateur weekends." Those who enjoy traveling and travel often, stay home on long weekends. Valentine's Day is a great way to highlight those that belong to the lonely hearts club.

Yes, I want my kids to agonize over the right word to use in their hand written poems, to make a mess in the kitchen while they prepare me breakfast and pick me fresh flowers (hopefully not from the neighbor's yard). I'm not my husband's mother, and I don't expect him to orchestrate the "Special day." Now, I may be a tad jaded because my first Mother's Day over 15 years ago my husband was in Ireland visiting friends and family. He lost his mother five years later and he used to call her on most Sundays and tell her how much he loved her. Don't wait for Mother's Day to be good to your mother or Valentine's Day to share a special meal with loved ones.

This past weekend was a very special Mother's Day because it was also our daughter's 14th brithday. As a family we went to church and had lunch with her God "mother". We spent the afternoon enjoying the sunshine, people watching and laughing at political buttons in Harvard Square. Spending time with my family...priceless... epecially since a friend's family couldn't celebrate mother's day with her because they had lost her to cancer a few months earlier at the age of 45. Time is the most under rated, underhyped and under priced gift we have.

So...I'm not certain who the author of the following poem is but it was sent by my close friend for Mother's Day:

To A Beautiful Woman

Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord
My shape to keep.

Please no wrinkles
Please no bags
And please lift my butt
Before it sags.

Please no age spots
Please no gray
And as for my belly,
Please take it away.

Please keep me healthy
Please keep me young,
And thank you Dear Lord
For all that you've done.