My friend Joyce and I were just talking about this. I am a member of the “sandwich generation” but I’m not a sandwich. My mom passed away several years ago and I do not have children. So what will I do for Mother’s Day?
On the one hand, it makes me sad that I am not a mom. After all, Hallmark made this day for moms.
On the other hand, I never had a drive to be a mom and more importantly, I never thought I would be a particularly good one. When I watched my friends with their kids, I realized it takes incredible devotion, time, money and dedication to be a great mom. I recognized that wasn’t my strong wish. And I didn’t think it would be fair to bring a child into this world unless I really wanted one. That may have come from watching my mom struggle to make ends meet after a divorce wrecked the family structure. Or it may be that like many of my friends, we were of a generation where for the first time it was not a “given” that we would have children.
So, instead of celebrating Mother’s Day for myself, I will dedicate the day to all the fabulous people in my life who either have (or had) a mom or who are moms themselves. And for the blessings they bring to me as their friend.