The Big Family Gathering Down the Street

Today, mothers around the world (or at least in America and Italy) are celebrated, honored, and cherished. They should be doted upon, receive presents or goodies, be catered to, be indulged their every whim….

Don’t you think?

Well, at my home (back home) it isn’t quite like this.

My mom, along with her mom, three sisters, her sister-in-law (and my countless female cousins who are also moms) work their booties off on family holidays, Mother’s Day is no exception.

Although I’m not there to witness, I can see the day unfolding like this…

Sometime early in the morning:
– Mom wakes up and prepares a pot of coffee, tosses biscuits in the oven, and heats gravy on the stove.
– She wakes up the rest of the family and pushes, pushes, pushes until they are either 1) out the door for church; or 2) still in bed refusing to go to church.
– Immediately after church she either 1) rushes home to begin preparing food to take to the “Big Family Gathering Down the Street”; or 2) has to go back to the store for that one last needed ingredient for her ever-famous and most-requested Oreo Dirt Dessert.

At home:
Everyone else changes into more comfortable clothes, relaxes on the sofa, watches tv, or talks on the phone.
– Mom, however, begins preparing deviled eggs, dirty rice, a potato salad, maybe a ham, and of course, that Oreo Dirt Dessert everyone asked her to take to the “Big Family Gathering Down the Street”.
– She packs a cooler full of ice for the drinks and loads it into the car.
– She takes the ham out of the oven and sprinkles paprika on the eggs.
– She transfers all of the freshly made lunch items into transportable dishes and situates them into the car so they won’t spill.
– She pushes, pushes, pushes until everyone else is either 1) out of the house into the car; or 2) decided to drive separately.

At the “Big Family Gathering Down the Street”:
– Mom unloads the food she just prepared from the car, and if she is lucky, someone else gets the cooler of drinks.
– She greets the “hostess” (her youngest sister) and sets the table with the newly arrived delectables.
– She helps her sister finish whatever it is that needs finishing.

After lunch:
– The moms clean the table and do the dishes
– Make coffee to go with dessert
– Serve dessert
– Pack up left-overs (because there are always left overs when we have Big Family Gatherings Down the Street).

And FINALLY…
– They Rest.

And, it’s only fair they get to rest, you know??

It is THEIR DAY.

They are the ones who carried you, birthed you, fed you, bathed you, loaned you money, bought you a car, paid for college, laughed when you laughed, cried when you cried, helped you with homework, shopped for a prom dress… Need I go on??

I guess what I am really trying to say, in addition to remembering and appreciating all of the things my mother has done throughout the years is…

But seriously, to my mother, my best friend, my closest confidant, and the person I miss the most when I am so far away…I Love You.

Happy Mother’s Day to you and to all of the Moms who make the world go around. You are appreciated!