by Kellee Williams
It is May, and you know what that means... more sales, almost shorts and sandal time, (for sure) shave your leg season, and Mother's Day! Yes, it is that special time of the year once more. Right now however, we are in a different kind of World today with Covid-19 and this time of social distancing. I was curious about how people felt about this time of year and found that May is met with many different feelings.
For some, their maternal relationships are amazing and met with much happiness and joy. There is such enjoyment in celebrating their mothers and giving them an experience during that time. Some are celebrated and are pampered, spoiled, and showered with gifts and other acts of affection and appreciation. Spas, flower shops, and jewelry stores are frequented at this time of year. First-time moms are celebrating and being celebrated for this milestone in their lives. Many wholeheartedly look forward to the occasion.
On the contrary, Mother's Day is not always the warm and endearing Holiday that the store displays and social media posts make it out to be. Many have lost their moms and this time of year reminds them of the grief that still lives on with the loss of the woman that gave them life. Some have had a tumultuous and strained relationship with either their own mom or their children, making the occasion not so special. Some may want to be celebrating for the first time but have been met with one loss after another.
Somewhere in the middle are those moms that love (or really like) being mothers. And, they love their respect their mothers and choose to honor them the way they'd like to be honored...in peace and quiet. I fall in this category. Let me explain a bit. We love our lives, spouse, loved ones, parents, and children, but more than anything, we'd like the day to just RELAX!
I remember with I was pregnant with my almost-two-year-old, I needed a day to sleep. I was near the end of the pregnancy and was ready to just be done. I got breakfast in bed, some beautiful gifts, (and the best gift of all) a pass to skip church and SLEEP. I slept all day. I enjoyed every single minute of it. Here's the thing, even if I weren't expecting...this still would be my gift of choice. Yes, the texts, calls, gifts are nice, but sometimes moms like me really enjoy celebrating the day on our terms. If we want to be with our moms, let's do it. If we want to be with our children, let's do it. Whatever WE choose to do...let's do it.
Not that I needed validation for my feelings, but as I mentioned, I polled some people on my social media about how they felt about the day, and to my surprise, most moms felt like me. We love our families but want the gift of choice. Sure, we will take the cards, calls, etc.... But choice looks like no schedule, no time commitments, no obligatory social visits, just the day to breathe and think of all the ways to master motherhood for the rest of this year, and those to come.
Whatever the history of your maternal relationships, I hope you have the time of your life this year. I hope from beginning to end, your May is spectacular.
Happy May and Happy Mother's Day.
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