This week's Spin Cycle assignment is all about teh mammas. And how we celebrate/acknowledge Mother's Day so make sure that you head over to Sprite's Keeper after this to read all about how others celebrate Mother's Day. So here we go, it's time to spin!
I've been a mom for 4 years now so I guess this makes my fourth Mother's Day. And...eh. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE being a mommy. It's the best thing in the world as far as I'm concerned. But Mother's Day doesn't really feel about me. In my family, the emphasis has always been on the grandmothers and to a lesser extent my mom. But this year will be different, a definitive paradigm change.
My grandmother died 6 weeks ago. This will be the first Mother's Day that she won't be around. And this makes my mom the 'matriarch' as it were. It is...difficult because we were all so close to my grandma. She was the center of the family so her being gone has knocked the world off of it's axis; at least for the short term. Growing up the tradition was to all go to church together then off to grandma's house for the festivities. Which mostly consisted of eating but it was a relaxing afternoon with my mom doing the cooking when my sisters and I were younger and us taking on more of the cooking responsibilities once we got older. And could be trusted to not burn the house down using the oven. Over the years the location shifted to my parents' house and we do all the cooking now. And it drives my mom bonkers not being 'allowed' in the kitchen to help. Breakfasts in bed, brunches, etc. were not our thing and my mom rarely eats it seems. It was all about just being together.
My all-time favorite Mother's Day was in 2006 when my middle sister and I both announced our first pregnancies to our mom. The cheers and the tears made it such a special day for everyone. Tears of relief for my sister who had struggled with infertility and cheers for the first grandchildren who ended up being born just a week apart and are the best of friends.
This year we've all moved up one level on the hierarchy; my sisters and I are now firmly in the middle tier after having spend the past 30-plus years as the cellar-dwellers. Mother's Day won't be about me for many years to come and you know what? I'm okay with it. My mom deserves to have her years, nay, decades in the spotlight. She is such a terrific woman, so smart, so loving, so giving and I can't think of anyone who deserves to be feted as much as she does.
Happy Mother's Day, Mom! You are the best and I love you so very much!
I LOVE your Mothers' Day traditions.
ReplyDeleteWe kind of do the same thing around here. It is pretty relaxing - even though I cook. We try to grill and get the dads out there on the BBQ.
Your 2006 "present" sounds like the best of all!
I love your reasons behind why you're giving up any claim to Mother's Day. For now. :-)
ReplyDeleteIn my family, my mom's mom was the glue that held everyone together, now it seems my mom is. I'm sorry for the loss of your grandma. She sounds amazing. You're linked!
I know what you mean about the paradigm shift. When my grandma died a few years ago, everything changed, especially how we celebrated holidays. I think the family is finally starting to cope, but we still miss her.
ReplyDelete