No tags yet.
Today is Mother’s Day here in the U.S. Yesterday we said our final goodbyes to a family member who died far too young. That was hard. Really hard. I woke up today wondering what I should post about Mother’s Day, if anything. Words fail me after watching a mother’s loved ones say goodbye to her just one day earlier.
This day will be conflicting for many people for a variety of reasons. It will be hard for those who lost their mother. It will be difficult for those who had an abusive parent and didn’t know what unconditional love from a mother was supposed to feel like. It will be heart-wrenching for mothers who have lost a child or long for a child of their own.
Mothers, or those who share that role, often sacrifice their needs to make sure their loved ones’ needs are met. It’s noble, but in the end it can backfire. If your well is empty, you have nothing to give to others when they really need you.
Make today a day that you be a little kinder to yourself. Set aside the negative self-talk and the self-judgement. No one really cares if the floor hasn’t been swept or the laundry isn’t folded and put away. As long as we all have clean underwear, we will manage. (Raise your hand if you’ve actually gone out and bought clean underwear because you couldn’t face doing the laundry. No? Just me? Nevermind then.)
We don’t necessarily need flashy gifts or expensive dinners. Maybe some moms just want a day to themselves. Seriously. I totally understood that scene in The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood where the mom takes off to a motel for a few days. She was exhausted and needed a break. I’ve been there.
What women really need is a little compassion, love and generosity from others – things women are known for giving to others without restraint. And maybe it starts with doing it for ourselves first.
Maybe today is the day we all set aside our expectations of what a perfect mother looks like and just do whatever feeds our souls. Kick back with a good book, a craft project you’ve been putting off for too long (I see you unfinished quilts mocking me from the other side of the living room!), binge watch some Netflix, go for a walk in the park, check out a museum. Or maybe you finally buy that thing you’ve been eyeing but feel too guilty to buy despite the fact that it really isn’t that extravagant. You are worthy, you know, of being cared for, loved and cherished. And if no one else in your life gives that to you, do it for yourself. Start today.
Whatever you do today, be kind to yourself. Do something that feeds your soul. Set aside the self-imposed expectations and enjoy the day. We have fewer days than we know. Enjoy the one before you right now.
