What do you want for Mother’s Day?

What do you want for Mother’s Day?  That is a question that my husband asked me last weekend. He followed up that one with the dilemma that he claims he is faced with because my 40^th birthday is in a few weeks so that was a lot for him to come up with ideas for both Mother’s Day and my birthday!  As I tried to hold back the sympathy tears that I had to stifle back for him I said “honey how are you going to handle all of the pressure of shopping for one person!!!!” I say this as the person as all of you moms out there are who are the multi birthday, anniversary and Christmas planner for all of your families and extended families. 

As Mother’s Day quickly approaches (it is 5 days away for all of you dads) I find myself doing my usual making my husband a list, telling him which stores he can go find the items at and getting the coupons ready for him.  First let me clarify my husband is very thoughtful and generous and has gotten me wonderful gifts through the years.  Tomorrow is our ten year anniversary of the day we met and I think back about how when we first met my husband would pick me a flower out of his garden and give it to me to brighten my day. That gesture did not cost a penny but meant millions to me.  Over the years my husband has surprised me with beautiful bouquets of flowers but to be honest they paled in comparison to the flowers from his garden because of the beauty of what he did.

Now as I am sure you can all relate to life has happened. What I mean by that is time-lack of it due to work and family responsibilities has taken away the time necessary to stop and pick a flower.  We actually have flowers in our yard at home which are roses that my husband got me several Mother’s Days ago but unfortunately the rose bushes have died due to lack of time to care for them.  I wish that time could be a present that could come in a box for Mother’s Day.  As I hear all of the commercials for jewelry, flowers and miscellaneous gifts intended for Mother’s Day I find myself wanting to say but not knowing how to put into words those items are not what moms really want for Mother’s Day. I know what I want for Mother’s Day can not be ordered from Proflowers, Kohls or Kay’s Jewelers. As a mom we take care of our children and husbands 365 days a year. One day a year is set aside as a means of thanking moms for the 365 days with a monetary gift or gesture and then the next day life returns to normal.  I could give my husband a list of what I would like this year along with store locations and coupons and I could also call the restaurant that I would love to go to for brunch and make a reservation but today I have decided that I do not want to do that.  I want one day out of 365 that I do not have to plan.  I am the one who plans the holidays for all of our family members and I want one day for someone to plan everything for me. Can planning fit in a box? I do not know. I want to be surprised this year and what would mean more to me than anything is a gift that was planned for me. As I think back 10 years ago I never asked for the flowers my husband picked for me out of his yard and life has changed and now I as all mothers do every year provide my husband with a list.  I have talked to so many of my friends who have gotten their own Mother’s Day presents and told their husbands what their husbands have gotten them.  I do not want that for myself.  I want to be surprised. This is my year of not providing lists for gifts for myself. Everyday of a mother’s life is a to do list. I know my husband will think of something wonderful for Mother’s Day but I want him to think of it this year ;]