Were you one of the hundreds, dare I say, thousands, of women who experienced a less-than-perfect Mother’s Day? Then, call a do-over! I am hereby giving you permission to reschedule Mother’s Day on a day that actually works into your schedule, where no children are sick, and when you aren’t hosting an elaborate brunch for your mother-in-law. Because that’s just bull.
You get one shot all year to enjoy yourself, to feel special, to perhaps take a break from the daily grind of parenting, and you end up with a soccer game and a head cold? No dice. Or, like my infamous MD of 2003, your husband ditches you with vomiting toddler twins so he can attend his siblings’ graduation ceremonies? Capital B. Capital S. My favorite is when you’re stuck having everyone over to your house (which translates into an exhaustive weekend of cleaning and cooking) to celebrate someone else’s Mother’s Day. Double bullship, hold the “s,” add a “t.”
That’s why I began several years ago calling do-over’s. Sometimes I have to wait until after the fact, once I’ve assessed the damage. Other times, I preemptively move MD to a more convenient day. Take this year, for example. I knew I would be returning from a birthday party in Ohio and as such, stuck in a dilapidated mini-van with no A/C and two tweenage girls suffering from sleep deprivation and sugar withdraw. I also knew I’d have to attend at least one sporting event, probably two. None of this fit into my supposed day of leisure and relaxation, and unfortunately, there was little I could do to change the situation. So I moved MD to the following Saturday, when I had relatively nothing on the books and Doo at home to cover.
On a side note, Saturdays are superior anyway because shops have longer hours, there’s no church-skipping to feel guilt over, and all nail salons are open. Why Mother’s Day is on a Sunday, I’ll never understand. Probably a man’s decision.
But back to my point, there’s no need to feel bitter about a Mother’s Day that sucks or has the potential to. Just redo it. As much as we’d like to and as hard as we try, we can’t always control what goes down on the second Sunday in May. No need to panic. Just call the audible and move on. And if your husband whines, remind him he can do the same for Father’s Day. Control your destiny, ladies, and take no bull! Peace out.