Mother’s Day is tomorrow and the crunch is on. I realize that this is one of those Hallmark holidays invented for the consumer to buy cards and gifts but there is something to be said about feeling the pressure of finding a present that encompasses the weight of how much you value the mother of your children.
For years, this alarming fact has been reported. Scorned mothers will cheat on their husbands. Ashley Madison – an infidelity-based matchmaking site – you know, a site where married people can cheat with other married people – experiences an influx of married women the day after Mother’s Day. Apparently, fed up mothers who feel unappreciated log-on in search of someone who will appreciate her.
So now I have in the back of my mind, if I get my wife a shitty gift maybe she’ll cheat on me. I actually know a guy that never gets his wife anything. “She’s not my mother,” he says smugly. “Yeah, but she is the mother of your three kids,” I remind him. I don’t think he realizes the seriousness of the situation. The gift you give measures the value of your wife as a mother. Wilted supermarket flowers? That says, “I almost forgot but didn’t.” Cash in a card (I know people who have done this) – this says, “I value you as a mother but not enough to get you an actual gift.”
Mother’s Day is a day to honor and thank mothers. So do something special. Make her a nice dinner. Don’t just sign a card, actually write reasons why you think she’s the best mother in the world. Let her sleep in – take the kids out of the house in the morning and let the poor woman sleep. Underneath it all, it’s not the material things that show value, it’s our actions and words. And a wife and mother logging on to ashleymadison.com speaks volumes.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Peter Gailunas is a lifelong Southie resident and Boston firefighter who sometimes takes it upon himself to tell people what’s what. Favorite day of the week is trash day. Big fan of the 311 app, food shopping and cooking. Self-proclaimed “Fastest Man Alive.” Married to the editor.
