Yes, I boycotted Mother’s Day. It was several years ago and I had three teenage daughters living in my home. (If any of you have teenage daughters in your home right now, you probably know where this is going.) Mother’s Day was fast approaching and one of my girls asked what I wanted for Mother’s Day. Unfortunately, she asked that at the end of a very long day of frustrating motherhood. It was one of those days that I wanted to put myself in “time out” so I would not have to listen to the bickering and the arguing and the disrespect and the arguing and the whining and the arguing and… Well, you get the picture. It was not a good day to ask me that question.
My answer sounded rational to me. “I don’t want ANYTHING for Mother’s Day! I’m boycotting Mother’s Day! It’s a farce! Anyone can be nice for one day of the year. I want you all to be nice and kind and respectful the other 364 days of the year. And since I don’t seem to be able to have that, I want NOTHING! Not a present. Not a card. Not a lunch out. Not even the rose they hand out at church. Nothing!”
And that’s what I got. Nothing! It was the year of no Mother’s Day. My husband did not even dare to cross the line in the sand that I had drawn.
I can’t remember what we did that day but I do know they honored my request and did not honor me.
I would like to say that things miraculously turned around and my girls were 100% respectful to me and kind to each other every day going forward – but that was not the case. We did plod along down the road on our journey called family relationships. Motherhood isn’t about having the perfect family 365 days of the year. It’s about sticking it out when it is not perfect. It’s about offering grace and forgiveness when it isn’t perfect. And most days, it’s simply about persevering!
Proverbs 31:28 says, “Her children rise up and call her blessed.” Well, my children have never risen and called me blessed. In fact, in the throws of battle during the teen years, they didn’t rise very often. And when they did, it was best if they didn’t speak for about an hour – or four.
But, I am greatly blessed. The blessing for me comes in being their mother. They bless me with their lives! They love me, their father, each other and, most importantly, the Lord! They do not have to rise and call me blessed because I know that I am blessed because of who they are.
I can echo the words of John when we wrote, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” (3 John 1:4)
Happy Mother’s Day to my three wonderful daughters! I love you dearly!
Oh, and I rise and call my mother blessed!
I have uttered similar words of frustration and been left in the gutter of my expectations. It makes for a miserable "holiday" but a memorable way to keep perspective!