I don’t think it’s any secret to my closest friends that I don’t really like Mother’s Day. Not having a mother who’s alive and not having any children…well, you can see that it wouldn’t rank very high on my list of favorite holidays. It’s basically just a slap in the face. (I’m not bitter or anything, I swear ;-).
However, this year I’m going to not hate it…and the way I’m going to do that is to talk about how great I am as an aunt and go ahead and call myself an honorary mother. How’s that for obnoxious?
This won’t be long…just a list of why I feel like Mother’s Day can be about me, too. 🙂
In my 16 years of being an aunt I have:
- Helped take care of a number of newborns and/or their siblings
- Changed enough poopy diapers to have at least one small child of my own
- Helped with potty training – including cleaning poop out of underwear…my favorite
- Been spit-up on, puked on, peed on, and pooped on…multiple times
- Spent more than a few nights with a child sleeping next to me or on me…while I was not sleeping very much
- Attended all but one first birthday party (and that was only because I was living in France on my mission)
- Made a number of birthday cakes/invitations
- And finally, if I were to add up all the hours I’ve spent watching my seven little munchkins (yes…I’m reserving the right to continue to call them all munchkins even though one is now 16), I would say I probably have a two-year-old
I realize that you mothers out there will all say that you couldn’t love anyone more than your own child and perhaps someday I will have my own children and agree, but I will say that, for today, I can’t imagine loving anyone more than my nieces and nephews.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!!!
P.S. In case you wanted to know I spent my day watching my niece and nephew while my brother-in-law cleaned the house and my sister slept (she works nights) and then we had a lovely sushi dinner. I only wish that all of you mothers out there were lucky enough to have a sister like me. 😉
existential dilemmas 
i'm a mother and i don't like mothers day. i really tried t this year.. but it only lasted until church was over!i can't believe my baby and your oldest "baby" is 16! maybe we could be related one day 😉 lets set them up!!!and yes, they are so very lucky to have you in their world!.. and so am i, if even virtually right now 🙂
Before I had kids, I hated Mother's Day too until a friend of mine referred me to that Sheri Dew talk, "Aren't We All Mothers?" where she says that Eve is called the mother of all living before she has kids. For some reason, that made me feel better and not so awkward on that day. I hope it wasn't that bad of a day for you. I love how you said you would have a 2 year old if you added up all the time you've spent watching your nieces and nephews.