Karyn Cole Karyn Cole is the lucky mom of 2-year-old girl/boy twins, Mia and Miles. After teaching elementary school for over 15 years, she now spends her days trying to enrich her class of two and organizing the chaos that is her household. After bedtime, she enjoys baking, crafting, and watching bad reality TV.

There seems to be a trend in celebrating Mother’s Day, and it’s not a new Starbucks treat or a celebrity fragrance. Instead, it’s b*&#@n’ about Mother’s Day. If you log on to the Huffington Post, you’ll read about unhappy moms dealing with unruly children in crowded restaurants during Mother’s Day brunch. Or read many mommy blogs, or check your Facebook wall, and you will see a tendency for moms to complain about how Mother’s Day really just amounts to a day where they have to do more work to be sure they are celebrated appropriately.

But I, for one, plan to lay off the sarcasm and celebrate.

I get it. Really, I do. I’m not one of those sentimental empty nesters telling you to appreciate every moment because it all goes so fast, yada, yada, yada. I’m in the throes of it, home with two 3-year-olds, day in and day out. I never get to enjoy a hot cup of coffee. If I had my own fragrance, it would smell like peanut butter with a slight urine undertone.

But come on, my fellow moms! Let’s try to celebrate the holiday in the spirit in which it was intended. It is a day set aside specifically for others to tell you that YOU are important. That your contributions are valued and all the little things you do don’t go unnoticed. I don’t know about you, but most days that is all I really want from my husband and children.

You may not have the “perfect” Mother’s Day. That’s not a realistic goal. But you can have a day that is special and meaningful for you.

Start by saying no to things that add stress to YOUR day. If brunch at a fancy restaurant with your kids is on par with having a root canal, maybe suggest another plan.

I will most likely spend part of my Mother’s Day at the beach with my littles. I’ll have to tote tons of stuff and slather sunscreen on squirming toddlers, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I will soak up the extra kisses and snuggles while they are on offer, then try to get a picture of me with my children where everyone is looking at the camera.

I’ll text the fabulous girlfriends I am in the trenches with daily just to tell them how great I think they are. I’ll call my own Mom, sad that I can’t be there to celebrate with her, and thank her for her unconditional love and support. Later that night, I will  continue the celebration with my grandmother, aunts, and cousins, all of whom continue to teach me each day what it means to be a mother in the truest sense of the word.

So come on, ladies. Let’s try to get in the spirit and embrace Mother’s Day wholeheartedly. Besides, we don’t want the dads to start complaining about having to grill their own meat on Father’s Day, do we?

Let’s connect on social media, too:

Mumbling Mommy on Facebook

Mumbling Mommy on Twitter

Mumbling Mommy on Pinterest

Category: Hot Topic

Tags: Karyn