Take a stand

A great evil has swept across our Nation. Once again we have narrowly survived it's divisive ravages. Only time will tell if we will be able to weather another assault next year. Now is the time for action. Now is the time to rise up and take a stand. Now is the time to defeat Mother's Day. Let's come together and banish this pseudo holiday from our calendars and wallets and hearts once and for all.

I understand the larger idea, honoring mothers. But we as a people aren't so capable of latching on to larger ideas. What we latch on to is "How this is all about me". This is where the idea breaks down. I participate in an online community. Thus far we have had special mothers day acknowledgements for motherless children, children of abusive mothers, single women, married women without children, married women without children by choice, women who are like mothers to some people, and Dad's because Father's day is under celebrated.

We have heard from complaints from everyone from the single, childless woman who insists that as a woman she is entitled to Mothers Day off of her church responsibilities to the married but childless woman who feels that it is an insult to be given a Mother's Day flower at church because it just highlights the fact that she is not really a mother. And that's all before you get to the angst of mothers who secretly suspect that every second of their parenting is destined for a tell all book after their kids get out of prison, the mother who screamed and swore to get her kids into the pew to hear talks about how sweet and nice mothers are, and the mothers who have become increasingly aware that their children are going to turn out just like them.

It all breaks down. Single mothers break down into single mothers by choice single mothers by abandonment or widows. Married women without kids get broken down into married women struggling with infertility, married women without kids by choice, and married women without kids struggling to overcome traumatic events and resolve their issues about having children. Married women with children get broken down by employment, socio-economic status, parenting style, whether or not they blow on owies, and pretty much every other facet of their lives.

I blame St. Patricks day. Money hungry people produced all those "Kiss Me I'm Irish" trinkets. Who was checking? Who was validating that the wearer of that dancing leprechaun pin was in fact of Irish descent? No one. They just sold them to everyone in search of the all mighty dollar and now we all feel entitled to have every holiday apply to us personally.

So as a mother of 6 kids, I say, let's scrap Mother's Day. You cannot synopsize the experiences of every woman into one holiday. And once you have made every caveat necessary to encompass all situations the holiday has become more about not stepping in minefields than moms anyway. So for the 85% of women who loathe and detest the holiday, let's just scrap it. For the 10% that like it because they are manipulative shrews and use it to further compound the endless manipulation of their offspring, you don't deserve a holiday. And for the remaining 5% who just like it because they are happy go lucky people who enjoy a party, we can substitute "Try a new variety of pickle" day.

Otherwise what we are left with it "Happy Mothers or others who may or may not be actively parenting minor units whether by choice or other wise and whether to the best of their ability or not with no intent to compound the grief of those not parenting minor units or those raised by horrifically unfit mothers who beat them or smoked crack or wore a mumu top with sweatpants to the school program Day". That just looks plain silly on a card.