Kristy Kelly: Holiday fatigue
When asked what I wanted for Mother’s Day, my answer was simple: To be left alone.
In previous years, I had done all the work to make sure my children were able to give me the Mother’s Day they thought I deserved, and quite frankly, every year it was annoying and exhausting. While I’m sure every mother in the world loves the traditions their children pamper them with, the amount of work required when their part is done has always exhausted me.
My kids kept things pretty simple with something along the lines of breakfast in bed, funny cards, maybe an outdoor adventure and something they made.
There’s nothing like breakfast in bed, until you realize you have to go back to the grocery store to restock the pantry. Let’s not forget the absolute mountain of dishes it took to make the luxurious breakfast, that will be left where they stand until I wash them. A certain level of praise is expected to be delivered when your children go out of their way to treat you, and that level depends on the child. The girls? A simple thank you is usually sufficient. My sons, however, expect me to listen to their embellished tales of how they slayed the chicken in order to make the morning meal.
While I treasured every card and gift, I lived in fear of the kids having plans that required travel. There is nothing like waking up with the roosters to pack enough lunches and drinks for a relaxing day at the lake. I’m not sure who relaxed on these events, but it was never me. Between fights over sunblock and keeping them alive until they learned how to swim properly, spending the day at the lake was hard. Single parents have different experiences on mommy-daddy days I think, but my kids preferred going to Lake Leamon in Wallace for every Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, both of which were days they celebrated for me. I have great kids, just broke and messy.
It’s almost a joke how bad most of my kids are, even as adults, at gift-giving. Let me reiterate, I’m always thrilled to pieces when my children give me a gift, but adults giving the equivalent of a macaroni necklace hits differently when the pieces fall off and you step on them at 4:45 am trying to make a cup of coffee. Especially when you attempt to have a slice of your Mother’s Day cake for breakfast before anyone sees you, only to discover the empty cake container, complete with knife and a balled up napkin in place of the decadent dessert that was given to you.
This year, when asked, I said I wanted to be left alone. Unfortunately, my grandchildren were having surgery on Monday, so not only did I have a house full of children, but then I had grandchildren to create an entire new generation of chaos.
Father’s Day is coming up on June 15th. I cannot wait to see what chaos they bring. As this falls two days after I get married, I’m definitely hoping they turn their attention to their now, legal, father figure.
Holidays in general are always way too much work for the benefit they bring, but on days that honor our parents, perhaps we should just ask if they want to be left alone.
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