Anyway, as my kids have grown older, my gifts have ‘grown up,’ too. Case in point: my favorite restaurant isn’t Chuck E. Cheese anymore, it’s the Incredible Pizza Company. Also, the kids have learned that as beautiful and valuable as gold glitter is, a cuss word might slip out if Mommy opens up an envelope filled with it while standing on the living room carpet. Then, of course, there’s my daughter. As a teenaged girl she knows my true desire. Why? Because she wants the same thing: to be left alone.
Okay, I know that sounds un ‘mom’-like. Mothers love their kids. They want to be with them all the time, right? Well…
It’s not that I don’t have good kids. I do. It’s just that they…well…they act like kids. Okay, I’m digging myself into a hole here so I’d better explain. For Mother’s Day, what I’d really love is…
- No groaning. When I ask someone to take out the garbage I want to hear, “No problem.” I’ll consider words like, “You work so hard, it’s the least I can do,” as a bonus.
- No complaining. If someone’s tired of eating spaghetti again, today I’d like them to keep it to themselves. If going to Aunt Susan’s ‘totally ruins’ their weekend, they can tell it to their Twilight poster, not me.
- No fighting. If one sibling enters another sibling’s room without asking, just this once I’d like the sorely afflicted victim to refrain from chucking a Lady GaGa bobble-head at the perpetrator’s left temple. Is that so hard?
- No mess. Simply said, just pick it up. I’m tired of nagging on the subject. For one day I just want it done.
In other words, I just want peace. No need to add ‘and quiet.’ JUST GIVE ME PEACE. Is that so hard? Chances are that’s all your mom really wants for Mother’s Day, too. Oh, I forgot, she did say something about a cute Vera Bradley bag she spotted in the mall a few days ago. That’d also be nice.
Anyway, make sure to remember your mom on Mother’s Day. And regardless of what you give her, remember to add peace to the equation.
As for the remaining 364 days of the year? You have my permission to drive her crazy. J