Mother's Day

Wszystko dla mamy, My mame kochamy!

It’s a little jingle that I remember from Polish TV in the late sixties. Mother’s Day was a big deal then and probably remains a big deal today, since it encourages a kind of commercialism that Poland seems to embrace in its race to better economic times.

I like how holidays shift boundaries of inclusiveness and pick up different subsets of the population, giving various people “favorite status” on one day or another. All people born on this day – feel special! You, who gave birth, or adopted a child – stand up, it’s your day! Americans, eat those grilled burgers and watch the fireworks – it’s Fourth of July! And so on.

(Best are the days that are most inclusive: everyone who wants to have a tree up with colorful lights and painted glass balls – go for it! Not a Christian? That’s okay, you can still buy a tree and listen to Jingle Bells.)

Mother’s Day is significantly inclusive. If 80 % of American women have children by age 44 (US census data) (and another small number adopt), and 100% of everyone at one point had a mother, you can admit that motherhood is big. So think mommy thoughts today. Or just give a nod and smile to the moms all around you.

Then go about your day and enjoy the sunshine. There is so much of it today, in southern Wisconsin. My daughter and I took full advantage of it in Governor Dodge State Park.

































...Followed by a quick run to the place where we always, in younger days, celebrated the mommy holiday. As others did today.









Dinner at home. With chocolates to make it completely wonderful.