Flying W Things

Public Service Announcement: Sunday is Mother's Day, for all you U.S. residents. Get a card in the mail or you're dooooooomed!

Rant: Sunday is Mother's Day. Mother's Day. It is not Grandmother's Day. It is not Great-Grandmother's Day. I have taken care of my mother for Mother's Day - she will be receiving a thoughtful card and some flowers. (Mom - if you read that, sorry for spoiling the surprise.)

Katy called me yesterday and asked me to pick up cards for the Two Grandmothers and One Great-Grandmother in the Extended Clan on the way home.

I tried to battle with her. I pointed out that "Grandparent's Day" isn't until September. (I did not express my belief that "Grandparent's Day" is a holiday manufactured by Hallmark to sell greeting cards. One fight at a time here, folks.) I mentioned that each of these women had children that would doubtless be honoring them on Mother's Day. I argued that Mother's Day celebrations should be a ladder, with children taking care of their mothers, who take care of their mothers, from the bottom of the ladder on up - and that you should jump generations only when a rung of that ladder is missing. I stated that in all my years I had never sent a Mother's Day card to my grandmother. My arguments were lucid, concise, and well presented.

I could imagine my wife's thoughts: "Yes, yes, fine - just pick up the cards."

And so I found myself buying Mother's Day cards for women that are related to me, but are not, in fact, my mother. I was torqued up enough that I ended up complaining to the cashier about it, getting a good "how quickly can I get rid of this crackpot" look in the process.

I really don't think I'm too far off-base on this one.