Mother's Day Guilt

Mother's Day is this weekend and it's shaping up to be a calamity.

As an only child, I've always spent time with my parents -- together and separately. I usually take my father to dinner on his birthday and to celebrate Father's Day. My mother and I have attended a local Decorator's Showhouse for the last 20 or so years. That's my gift to her. We also go to a Mother/Daughter dinner. Most mothers of grown children will tell you that their perfect Mother's Day is time alone to do whatever they want ... plant flowers, read a book, go to a movie. I am a card-carrying member of this club.

I tried to convince the husband that he should take his mother out to celebrate Mother's Day. She's not willing to go without his father and my husband's not willing to go without me. So, once again, the guilt falls on me. All he has to do is say, "Please be in my corner on this one," and I'm agreeing to something I do not want to do.

He wants to honor her and I respect that. Couldn't we just send some flowers?