Wednesday, May 16, 2007

A Post-Mother's Day Post

This past Sunday, I learned that dads don't understand Mother's Day. They seem to think that it's about flowers, and chocolate, and pretty cards, and all that material jazz. Little do they know that if they bring contention into their homes in an attempt to create a perfect day for their wives, they've missed the boat.

A few days before Mother's Day, my dad gave me some money and asked me to pick up a little gift for my mom and a nice card for all of us to sign. I tried to pick up the stuff on Friday, but I couldn't find the cards in the store and ended up staring at candy and snacks for almost an hour. Hungry and low....not exactly a good combination. Anyways, Saturday night came by, and my dad caught me in the garage to ask if I'd fulfilled his assignment. I hadn't. I told him that rather than go to the store with the truckload of others who had forgotten cards, I could just make something for everyone to write on. That idea was shot down as preposterous. Why would Mom like some dinky thing that her kids had made for her? I'd ruined everything, apparently. Of course, who should come by to see us arguing than Mom. Do you think it pleased her that Mother's Day was causing contention in our family? Even if the intentions to make her day were good? I think not.

My Sunday school teacher, Connie Ballou, told our class the next day that that morning there had been a fiasco at her house in an attempt to create her perfect day. Someone had let their big yellow lab into the house, and it ended up tracking mud through their kitchen, into their living room, up their stairs, through her room, and up onto her bed. Her husband went downstairs, and yelled at the kids for letting the dog in the house and ruining Mother's Day. Even though a pancake the size of Connie's head was made to help make up for the mud, two of her young girls felt so bad that they went to church in tears. Am I the only one seeing a problem here?

So, there you have it. Dad's don't really get it. It's really not about the stuff or the frills of it all. It's about saying I love you. I'll have to keep that in mind for the future.

11 comments:

Nedge said...

I absolutely agree.
All the mothers days here in the past we Edges have learned our lesson...(My mom's had 30 years of mother's days! WOAH!)
Mother's Day went pretty smooth here...very quiet and down to the basics...
I'm glad we both know this secret...

Nedge said...

Thank you for posting again!
Your posts are so insightful and smart.
Not like my fluffy quantity ones...
Keep smiling! Don't let yer teeth suffocate!

Joslynn said...

Mother's Day is never a let-down-- but only if you put your heart and soul into the breakfast in bed. Not literally silly. Ew, that's gross!
My mom wasn't even home for Mother's Day. I contemplated wishing your mother a happy day in her stead, but decided that would be kissing up.
I'll do it here. Happy Mother's Day!

Joslynn said...

Warning: Mother's Day consecutively followed by a woman's birthday is a death sentence for a busy husband away on business. Don't try this if you can help it.
My poor, poor father.

Brittany said...

Oh man, what did he do?

Joslynn said...

He arrived home the day before her birthday. His absence combined with my non-pecuniary abilities yielded zero presents on la birthday de mi madre.
However, I did make her a card with several mice... colored too. Does that make up for the lack of lotions and potions? Probably not.
Good thing she is good at shopping for herself.

Joslynn said...

I also wanted to apologize-- in a very, very late fashion-- for assisting in the failure of your father's ideal card. Smith's Marketplace simply did not have anything acceptable.
Also, snack and cereal aisles are simulatneously wonderful and death when you're under 100mg/dl.

Joslynn said...

The world is fur of bowling people... but you are not one of them.

Anonymous said...

It is exactly 92 degrees fahrenheit (licks finger and sticks it in the air) with approximately a twelve mile per hour breeze coming from the northwest and headed south. Humidity, mild. No exceptional storms, no hurricaines, and no tsunamis until next week, friends.

I get the news I need from the weather report.

Joslynn said...

And the children who had been singing praises to me LIED ON ME, and said, "We asked for eggs... and milk... and Dad made us eat this!

Brenda said...

Happy 4th!