…But you can claim THIS day!
The famous little restaurant, Il de Pain, in Knysna, should be closing for six weeks around about now to take a break before the busy Knysna Oyster Festival that starts end of June. There will be a sign on the door: “Closing for mental maintenance”. It closes every year for six whole weeks with their staff on full pay. This time is used by the owners and staff for relaxation and research – what they call mental maintenance.
This is a restaurant that is always full and has people waiting in a queue outside all year round, come rain or shine and it has an almost zero staff turnover. Not dissimilar to busy mothers like us who have a constant queue of ‘customers’ that must be ‘served’ all year round.
From your children’s need for your attention and listening ear; to the countless forms from school that need filling in and signing; to finding cash for Civvies Day; to lifts to and from activities; to watching sports matches; to filling lunch boxes; to sewing on missing blazer buttons; to covering countless books; to labeling articles of clothing; to making sure uniforms get washed and ironed on the rainiest of days; to ensuring we get to doctor’s appointments on time; to the logistical nightmare of making plans for the family for when you are going out of town on business; to my child’s teachers who need to see you; to the friend’s child who needs a lift home; to the dog that needs a stitch or two at the vet and the bags that must be packed for holiday. And don’t forget the spill on the floor and the vitamins that must be put out for each member of the family every day so that they don’t get the flu. And the hearts that must be mended when children’s friendships go south; the homework hassles; the party invitations that must go out and, oh, the photographs that must be taken, right this minute! Because………..if I miss this moment, it might never happen again, and then, how on Earth will I remember it all, when it’s over?
Mums, it’s Mothers’ Day this weekend and you deserve a break. While we might all like six weeks off to recondition our minds, to re-tune our hearts and to reinvent our bodies, we know that it is just not going to happen because we are in such great demand for our awesome resourcefulness; our incredible talents; our un-matchable multi-tasking ability; our big hearts, and our very broad shoulders, to name but a few of our magnetic attractions.
I hereby give you full permission to absolutely claim this one day, all for yourself. Let your ‘customers’ wait on you hand and foot, and don’t feel guilty – not one little bit!
Happy Mothers’ Day to all the marvellous mums out there. Mothers make the world go round!
With much love,
From your children’s need for your attention and listening ear; to the countless forms from school that need filling in and signing; to finding cash for Civvies Day; to lifts to and from activities; to watching sports matches; to filling lunch boxes; to sewing on missing blazer buttons; to covering countless books; to labeling articles of clothing; to making sure uniforms get washed and ironed on the rainiest of days; to ensuring we get to doctor’s appointments on time; to the logistical nightmare of making plans for the family for when you are going out of town on business; to my child’s teachers who need to see you; to the friend’s child who needs a lift home; to the dog that needs a stitch or two at the vet and the bags that must be packed for holiday. And don’t forget the spill on the floor and the vitamins that must be put out for each member of the family every day so that they don’t get the flu. And the hearts that must be mended when children’s friendships go south; the homework hassles; the party invitations that must go out and, oh, the photographs that must be taken, right this minute! Because………..if I miss this moment, it might never happen again, and then, how on Earth will I remember it all, when it’s over?
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