What I Want for Mother's Day Doesn't Make Me a Bad Mom

As Mother's Day draws near there is no lack of advertising for flowers, chocolates, spa days, and the like. But as a mother to two young children, that stuff has never appealed to me. Honestly, what I want for Mother's Day isn't something you can find in a store. It's not something you'll see commercials for either. 

What I want for Mother's Day is to be alone.

That's right. I want a day to be all by myself. I like to sleep in late and then leave the house, headed to a coffee shop or book store where I will grab a newspaper and drink an entire cup of coffee before it gets cold. And I will do that in leisurely silence. 

From there I can head to any store I want. I can browse the aisles of Target in peace and quiet. Or I can pop into some of my favorite clothing stores and actually try different outfits on, rather than throw them haphazardly at the register with two kids in tow and tell myself I can always return them if they don't work out. I can idle up and down the aisles of Williams Sonoma or West Elm, examining different things and imagining what I could use them for or daydreaming about kitchen remodels. 

After that, I like to head to lunch. And do you know what is so fantastic about this lunch? It is at the restaurant of my choosing. If I want sushi, I get it. If I want to try the new Lebanese restaurant, I head there. There's no bribing or compromising or promises that there has to be something on the menu a kid would like. Nope. I just make up my mind and go. It's amazing.

After lunch, I treat myself to a movie at the movie theater. And guess what? It's not a kid's movie. It is a grown-up movie with kissing and cussing and anything else I want to see. I get a box of candy that I don't have to share. It is mine. All mine. And it is glorious.

Around this time, I head back home. Because believe it or not, after all the blessed quiet and peace, I really do start to miss my family. We usually head out to dinner and I ooh and aah over the handmade goodies that my children have for me.

And I feel calm and relaxed and that's why I take this day to be alone.

And that doesn't make me a bad mom. In fact, it makes me a better mom for my family. Because no matter how much I love my kids, I'm still allowed to miss the things that made up my pre-mom life. Being a mom doesn't mean I have to always put myself and my needs last. That's not healthy. I claim this day to recharge and indulge and do anything I want and it makes me happy.

So every year when my family asks me what I want for Mother's Day, I tell them I want to be alone.  And I don't feel guilty about that at all.