Mother's Day Grumpies

For the past few years, on Mother's Day, I have noticed something a bit unusual.  There seems to be an abundance of grumpy moms.  More so than usual. 

(And I'm not judging.)

(I can be grumpy with the best of them.  Just ask my sweet, patient husband.)

I used to just think that I was more aware of the crabby mamas on that particular day because it was Mother's Day.  But this year, after an interesting interaction with an especially irritable mom at church, I realized what I was sensing.

As moms, we have this hope and expectation that this day will be special.  And that all of the ill-behaved children will be obedient.  All the attitudes will vanish.  All the dishes will be done (by someone other than us).  All the laundry will be tamed.

And if that's not too high of an expectation, we also hope that we can just get a simple picture, with at least some the subjects looking towards the camera.  Bonus points for a smile.

I actually wasn't even going to attempt a picture on that day.  I had decided that days before.  The grumpy mom at church?  Her issue involved a family photo.  I was trying to help assist her in that.

Call me pessimistic, but I went into Mother's Day with the same expectations and anticipations that I have everyday.  I knew there would be messes, screaming, crying, discipline, dishes, laundry, and, most especially, no children looking towards a camera. 

That's the special part that we are looking for, but don't recognize.

I wanted to embrace the disorder even more on that day than I normally do. 

Between the grumpy mom's photography woes and the solidifying thought that motherhood is messy, sweaty, and chaotic, especially so on Mother's Day, I decided to go for that family photo. 

And I'm glad I did.