So. It is almost Mother's day...again. I wish I could love Mother's day. But I don't.
All the advertisements and email blasts with cheery pictures of "happy moms!" just pisses me off. I feel like it is in this week leading up to Mother's day that I just want to turn off all media. The incessant barrage of messages about mothers day brunches, mothers day massages, mothers day flowers...they all just make me want to scream. Not everyone feels like this is a celebration day, okay? Can I just quietly get through it?
I'm sure we all have these things, these triggers. Mine is my mother. Yours may be something totally different. But the way our society is set up there are moments in a year, or moments in a life course that can make one's particular trigger be activated way more than usual. And for me, every year, the holidays and Mother's day are those days.
I have tried to reclaim Mother's day for myself. Hey, I am a mother too! This is my day also! Yay me! But it just doesn't work. I think it is a goofy day for a lot of reasons, aside from my trigger issues. I think a lot of these celebratory days that serve to reinforce norms about what makes a family are ridiculous, because it is like they are there to jab a sharp blade into the hearts of those who do not have that "right" kind of family. I wish it was loved ones day...or caregiver's day...or honored elder's day...I could go on, but I will spare you.
But the point is, I have often found that there are moments in life where my calendar seems to dictate some feeling that is not only impossible for me to feel, but the very insinuation that I should feel it pisses me off. As I've written this post, I've received two more email blasts about mother's day. Just so you know.
