Every year my family asks what I want for Mother’s Day. I never tell them what I really want because I know I’ll never get them. For example, what I really wanted for Mother’s Day was an elegant dinner at a restaurant where I have to get dressed up and put on perfume. I’d like it to be so fancy that there is no kid’s menu.
What I actually asked for was a dinner out. What I got was a dinner at the local pancake restaurant. It’s my daughter’s favorite place and she is convinced that it’s my favorite too. It’s not actually number one on my list, however it has cheap kid’s meals, fast service, paper placemats to color and it’s close enough to the house so that I only have to hear, “Are we there yet?” once or twice. What more can you ask for in a dining experience?
The other thing I really wanted for Mother’s Day was a weekend at a luxurious spa complete with a manicure, pedicure, facial, and daily massages. Oooh, that sounds so nice, I’m getting relaxed just thinking about it. Instead I actually asked for some fancy bath soap and a chance for a nice soothing hot soak. What I got was about ten minutes of quiet in the bathtub before I got interrupted over and over again. “Mom, where are my socks?” “Mom, where are the scissors?” “Mom, where are the band aids?” That one got me out of the bath in a hurry.
Don’t get me wrong; I love all the presents that my family gives me. I especially love the presents that my seven year old daughter makes for me: the I Love You Mom pencil holder, the picture frame studded with colored macaroni, the bead necklaces. (I remember making ashtrays for my mom when I was little, but I guess that’s not politically correct anymore.)
My favorite present, though, is one that my daughter can’t make and can’t buy at a store. My favorite present of all is when my daughter gives me a giant-squeezy hug and I hear her say, “You’re the best, Mom.”
So when my daughter asked me what I wanted most of all for Mother’s Day, that’s what I told her. Actually there’s something that I want more than that, but I know I can’t get it. I want it more than any fancy dinner or weekend away at a spa. What I really want is a way to put some extra giant-squeezy hugs in a box and save them for when my daughter is fifteen and thinks I’m a complete idiot. When she runs into her room to be alone, I’ll be able to open my little box of hugs, take one out and remember one of the best things about being a mom. 😉
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