I thought I was all finished being upset about Mother's Day, but it turns out I'm not. Probably has something to do with the fact that 800 times this week I had the same conversation at school. It went like this:
Person: Hey, what are you giving your mom for Mother's Day?
Sam: Nothing, my mom's dead. What are you giving your mom?
Person: Oh. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean ...
Sam: No, you didn't know, it's okay. Let's move on. So what are you getting?
But it's actually NOT okay. And I don't give a fuck what anyone is giving their mother. Want to hear a weird thing? I used to give my mom presents and cards all the time.
This is what I used to do after school if I wasn't doing homework or gymnastics or something - lay on my belly in the living room and make cards for my mom or nana with beads and rhinestones and buttons and scraps of fabric. My mom had a bedazzler and sometimes I'd even use that to make the fabrics fancy.
Once, when Alex was a baby, she was having a really shitty day and I asked my mom if she needed me to brush her hair. "Sammy, what I need is a martini." Obviously I didn't have a martini to give her but I made her a card with a martini with rhinestones all over it with a little note. I haven't thought about this in a long time so I don't remember the exact words but it was probably something like:
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sorry you are sad
Here's a martini for you
When I gave my mom the card she laughed really hard and said it was the favorite thing I ever gave her. She kept it for ages, and would prop it up whenever she was having a hard time. I felt like stuff like that was more important than what Josh calls the Hallmark holidays.
I hope all these people who are running around trying to find the biggest present for their moms for this Sunday tell them on other days too.
4 comments:
I'll be thinking of you and your family on Mother's Day.
I love the story about you making cards, especially the martini card. Maddie loves to make cards, too. I'll have to get her a bedazzler when she's a little older.
Very, very true. What a great kid you were (and are).
I've often thought that Hallmark holidays are lame. You shouldn't need Valentine's Day if you're in a good relationship. You shouldn't need mother's day, you should be loving your mom anyway, etc.
Your main point is so good though, appreciate the people in your life. They're a gift and shouldn't be taken for granted.
My mom died 6 years ago. I hate Mother's Day too.
Hang in there. I think your martini story is the most adorable thing I've heard in the longest time, and I want to say something else, something to express something, anything, but I have no idea how you feel at all. I have no idea whatsoever, and I think it'd be terrible to act like I do.
But I'm thinking of you. And I've resolved to be nicer to my own mother, because I haven't, and because I should.
Thanks.
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