As I tried to do simple math in my head and figure out the tip for my pedicure, the sweet man behind the counter said, “Thank you and have a happy Mother Days” (no, that's not a typo). I smiled and turned to walk out, the placement of the plural “s” at the end of that phrase not lost on me. “Mother Days.” I snickered all the way to the car.
The salutation actually seemed much more fitting for the upcoming holiday because isn’t every day a mom day? As a kid I remember asking my mom why there was a Mother’s Day and a Father’s Day but no Kid's Day, feeling completely screwed. “Because every day is Kids Day!” she and my dad would exclaim in unison.
I get it now.
One day a year the focus is shifted to the moms, the women warriors at home, work, driving carpool, teaching lessons, wiping noses, wiping bottoms, wiping tears from their own tired eyes. I understand that the reason we have a Mother’s Day is so we can focus on our moms, thank them for what they do, and remember them if they have passed on. These are all good reasons. But our mothers do so much, so shouldn’t it be more?
We are moms every single day. We do not clock in and clock out. Even while we sleep, our brains can’t ever quite shut off in case our babies need us in the night. We check in from work or when we’re away. We worry. We pray. We plan. We are attached to our children in unexplainable ways. Once you become a mom, you're a mom forever and always.
A mom needs to fill up her tank more than once a year in order to keep going.
So, dads/partners, give us a break once in a while! Don’t be afraid to step in when we need a breather. Yes, we're capable of pushing through when we feel like giving up, but it would still be nice to have someone take the reins once in a while. We should all remember that we moms are human too and it’s healthy for us to follow our dreams and dare to grow as people. To do something because we want to, need to or feel called to.
A mom needs to fill up her tank more than once a year in order to keep going.
This was the exact reason I went in for a pedicure that day. I’m really not that girly of a girl but I have found that taking that hour to myself a few times a year is a good reason to sit still, read a book and zone out. My husband is in full support of this because I’m a much happier mom when I come back.
This actual Mother’s Day, when we get to put our feet up and feel no guilt about it the one meager day a year we're given, let's all remember that moms are moms all the time! The Mother Days will continue. The demanding, monotonous and draining duties of motherhood will always be there. Let’s treat ourselves a little more frequently so that we can feel appreciation—even if it's just from ourselves.
Whether it's a "mother of a day" or you simply need an extra hour of sleep, go for it! Keep that secret ice cream or chocolate in the back of the freezer. Take over the remote control more often. Read that book you've been dying to finish while taking a well-deserved bubble bath. You deserve it, Mama—each and every single day.
