Mother's Day is this coming Sunday, and I am feeling a little glum. My mom, my stepmom and my grandmothers are all gone, and I am remorseful for not celebrating their Mother's Days with them when they were here.
Oh sure, I got everybody the perfunctory card - you know, something sappy or silly to check the box indicating that, yes, I did do something for them for Mother's Day. I bet Hallmark has key performance indicators that measure the effectiveness of guilt-induced purchasing trends associated with secular observances. Next thing you know, there will be "Happy Arbor Day" cards. Ironic that the card stock comes from trees...
We celebrated a particularly memorable Mother's Day with my mom back in 2002, when Grace was just turning a year old. We went to The Melting Pot for celebratory fondue.
We fought for the better part of the meal, and of course I don't even remember why we were fighting. I just know that I was hugely fat, crabby and sweaty, and that I had the baby on my lap as I was glaring daggers at my mother.
And then the baby exploded with the most disgusting bout of diarrhea imaginable; all over herself, all over me and my angry sweaty dress...and we had forgotten to bring the diaper bag. I snatched up her little poop-covered self and hustled the two of us into the restroom, along with several cloth napkins and an even worse attitude.
When we got back to the table, the waiter stopped by and took a polaroid picture of our special day, and it makes me laugh every time I come across it. It was a particularly crappy shot. :-)
These days, when I am asked what I want for Mother's Day, I don't have an answer - because I already have everything I want. This year, I think I want a nap and a homemade card. And lots of hugs. But not any fondue.
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