It’s the mother of all holidays this weekend, and it would be a good idea to be ready at this point if you aren’t already.
However I know I haven’t been alone on a certain Sunday afternoon at the drug store looking over cards with other members of my gender looking for that card that says it all, so we don’t have to.
It’s not really our fault you know. Guys don’t look ahead, that’s what we have mothers and wives for. Ahem. Of course when we don’t look ahead the present, like today, can get very uncomfortable if you haven’t come through, yet again, on a big day such as this one.
Sure anniversaries and birthdays are important too but there’s something about Mother’s Day.
I’ve written before about how I think being a dad is the greatest thing in the world and likely what I feel best about (well, besides that race I won in Grade 7 in front of the whole school, and little did I know at the time that that was when I peaked as an athlete, heavy sigh). Yet, I still know that Father’s Day and fathers in general ranks somewhere well below mothers and Mother’s Day on the overall sentimental scale. Sorry guys.
I often recall how my oldest son, when he was two or so (back when they used to like watching the same movie over and over again), basically watched three movies: The Mighty Ducks, The Lion King and the classic Bambi.
There was no issue with The Mighty Ducks and he went on to have a pretty decent minor hockey career, not that I was trying to influence him or anything. Ok, dear, maybe a little.
And The Lion King he enjoyed immensely too, even though the part where the dad dies bothered him and he got fidgety, he got through it fine.
But Bambi, where as you know the mother dies (hope I haven’t spoiled it for anybody), he would start watching time and time again but when the music started to build and he knew the scene was coming…..he’d rush to turn off the TV and quickly move on to do something else. I still don’t know if he ever watched the end of that movie.
It didn’t take a sociology degree to figure that one out. There was mom, and then somewhere way down the scale there was, well, dad.
Now I’m not whining here, OK maybe a little but hey, it is what it is. However, I’m trying to make a case for how important this day and your mother are, and you better do something about it if you know what’s good for you.
So to further help you, especially if you haven’t got a gift yet, the Christian Children’s Fund of Canada conducted a survey of moms and has put out a list of the worst Mother’s Day gifts. In other words, stay away from these babies, if I have to spell it out (which as you know is often needed for us guys, or so we’re told on occasion).
The Ipsos Reid poll of 527 Canadian mothers came up with the following list of worst gifts received:
1) A chainsaw
2) Divorce papers
3) Household appliances
4) Cookbooks
5) Oversized clothing
6) Frying pans
7) Oven mitts
8) Shoehorns
9) Vegetable shredder
10) White noise machine
Most of these are obviously wrong, wrong, wrong for many reasons. Although I think my wife would actually like No. 1. It’s what she might do with it that scares me.
I still remember a buddy of mine gave his mom a sprinkler for Mother’s Day and we razzed him mercilessly. Still do.
But his response – “That’s what she said she needed” – likely explains a lot of the top ten list above. Or maybe not. Anyway, proceed with caution. But if you haven’t got anything yet, do proceed.
Oh, and happy Mother’s Day.
– glenn@vernonmorningstar.com
