Did you know that the woman who lobbied (successfully) for the official recognition of Mother’s Day as a holiday later wished they would rescind it? Apparently she wrote that the industry around the holiday were “charlatans, bandits, pirates, racketeers, kidnappers and termites that would undermine with their greed one of the finest, noblest and truest movements and celebrations.”
Reading that made me laugh of course, thinking about the poor family members tasked with picking out peonies and making a beautiful breakfast. But I was talking with a friend of mine and found myself nodding along when she said that, in a way, Mother’s Day feels more special than a birthday: her identity is so imbued with being a mother—at least right now, when the kids are still babies—that it feels really necessary to celebrate that. And I imagine that our mothers felt that way at one point, too (if not still).
A woman walked by our house with her one-year-old the other day and we quickly fell into a rather deep conversation about the concept of babyhood as ‘the longest shortest time.’ (It’s funny how fast you can get to talking with another adult who is walking a speechless toddler.) Without even exchanging names, we exchanged knowing glances about frustrating moments and she said something about reminding oneself ‘that all this is what we’re working all our lives to have. These kids are everything.’
I think one could say the same for any sort of loving relationship or family—not just children—but it really struck a chord. One hears phrases like it from time to time (about how fast the years go and to just enjoy it—and you rue the day the stranger says it to you in the middle of a meltdown on the proverbial aisle nine), but love is what it’s all about.
Sure is nice to have a day (contrived or not) to celebrate that.
Photo highlights from the weekend: Flowers from the Remodelista Market and from Aron, snuggles in bed, baked French toast, family photos (we nearly lost Skyler to overzealous hugs), wonderful grandmas, biking in the UC Davis Arboretum (we saw a snake!), picnic’ing by our wood pile, haring drippy ice cream cones, and playing in the backyard pool.
P.S. Last year’s Mother’s Day.
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