On my first Mother's Day, it went over somewhat uneventful. I didn't have high expectations, in fact, Julia was 5 months old and I really don't remember it at all. That tends to happen when you're nursing for what seems like a 100x a day and working! My second Mother's Day wasn't much different from the first but I recall going to a lovely seafood restaurant in City Island in the Bronx with my parents. Actually, I remember wearing a dress that was bought when I was pregnant, with the intention of wearing it during the time but never having any event to wear it too - it was a little roomier for the belly but it actually wasn't maternity wear. The neighbor girl saw me in what I thought was a pretty nice dress on me, gasped, and said "Mari, are you pregnant?" Perhaps that is why Mother's Day 2 is wiped from my mind. Hmmm, let me try and erase that again...ok, yup, Mother's Day 2, totally forgettable....
Mother's Day 3 turned on the bitch switch for me. I don't know if it was because my last two were so uneventful or if I'm just slightly more overwhelmed this year than I was last year, but I suddenly felt like I understood why all mother's like to remind you about the day you were born. Even though Mother's Day, as Carl likes to put it, is a "Hallmark Holiday", a day so commercialized by every business that wants your money in exchange for some crappy chocolate, wilting flowers or dust collecting Vermont Teddy Bears - I, decided, to heck with that, I deserve to have one day dedicated to me (other than my birthday), to celebrate my motherhood! I deserve to be queen for the day! After all, I spent 4 days in the hospital, I've got a scar on my belly, a year's worth of butt pain from injuring my tailbone (tee hee - I can say, literally, Julia was a pain in my butt!), a body that I cringe at the sight of, dark circles under my eyes, lots of lost sleep, lots of lost time arguing about why it's important to not pick your nose and 2.5 years of being at the absolute beck and call of "The Beast". Where the hell is my crown, staff and throne?!? Didn't I deserve to have one day, where I was revered, respected and grateful for my undying love and dedication to my family? Should not that day be spent doing all things I've done for the family with the exception of changing my poopy diapers and wiping my butt??? Although....ah never mind....
Ok, so maybe asking my 2 and a half year old to cook my meals, clean the house, bathe me, feed me, dress me and keep me entertained in any way possible before she burps me and puts me down for a nap is too much to ask (well at least now anyway - I'm sure she'll have to look forward to these things in another 40 years or so). But no matter how many times you tell yourself, it's just not that easy to give a little more attention, respect and love to the ones who love you most on a day to day basis when there's a million and one other things that are going on in a day. So I do appreciate when there are days that are meant to put a little focus on our loved ones and draw us away from the daily stresses of life.
And although I did get breakfast in bed and dinner at Veselka's (my fav cheap eats!), I did spend the day spring cleaning the house, feeding, bathing, dressing and entertaining Julia while only thinking, not repeating, the pains of childbirth, the horrible aftermath of pregnancy and my indefinite servitude to my beautiful, loveable, squishable and sweet, beastly child.
But hey, isn't that what I signed up for when I decided to become a mother?
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