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Health & Fitness

Not My Mother.

My husband let me know that since I was not HIS mother, he didn't need to buy me anything

I was at the gym on Mother’s Day and this nice guy came up to me and said, “Happy Mother’s Day!” I thanked him graciously and we started chatting. He asked if my husband had done anything for me in celebration of the day. “He’s not up yet,” I responded. But the truth was, I knew deep down that I was in for a sparse Mother’s Day celebration. I began talking to him about a past conversation I’d had with my husband about Mother’s Day when my husband let me know that since I was not HIS mother, he didn’t need to buy me anything. No amount of lecturing or explaining the details of how hard it would be for our infant child to buy me a gift changed his mind. Suddenly, this guy looks at me and said, “I completely agree with your husband. My wife expects me to get her something, but she’s not MY mother. It makes no sense to me.”

What really stood out to me in that moment was the fact that this guy had just said, “Happy Mother’s Day,” to me. And I'm pretty much a stranger in his world. So he was fine acknowledging the fact that this holiday is in celebration of all mothers out there. But his own wife somehow doesn’t make the cut. And it seems that the entire male gender is on board with this thinking! I talked to my mom, she said my dad felt the same way. My brother-in-law said he agreed as well (however, he gets brownie points for adding that since the kids can’t buy their mom a present, he knows he has to do that for them until they’re older.)

REALLY? I mean, REALLY? Is it so hard to see that Father’s Day is generally a massive spread that women put out for their HUSBANDS, not their fathers? And who’s buying all the ties for father’s day…kids? I don’t think so. My son doesn’t even know what a tie is (which is really because in this day and age anyone under 5 isn’t required to wear more than sweatpants…ever).

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So if you’re one of those women like me who said, “I’ll gain 50+ pounds, feel sick for 9 months, not sleep for 2 years straight, go through the pain and recovery of bearing a child (or two) in order to bring your children into the world because you CAN’T,” then I say you deserve a present. A big one. Every year. Bet you’re wondering if I got a gift after all? I sure did. My husband just hasn’t’ given it to me yet. 

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