Tired of lame Mother's Day gifts and cards?
Then join me in petitioning the government to swap Mother's Day and Father's Day on the calendar.
Father's Day needs to come first, and I'll explain why.
In many households, though certainly not all, it's Mom who runs the Bureau of Thoughtfulness.
Mom does the gift shopping, card sending and party planning. She pays attention to hints dropped and wants unfulfilled. She's so skilled at tending to the needs of others that she's actually been awarded an annual holiday -- Mother's Day. And it's on that holiday that her skills are most sorely missed. By her.
Right after our daughter was born, my fiancé Dave blew off Mother's Day. He remembered to send his mom a card. He just didn't realize that with our infant too young to craft a macaroni necklace or pick a bouquet of dandelions, it was his job to provide for my Mother's Day needs.
And I have needs.
I'm kind of a holiday whore. Even at my age, I still like to make a big deal over my birthday, and maybe wear a tiara.
Dave knows this about me, and up until then, he had always come through. He's also a genius with spontaneous flowers, which I will never take for granted (Honey, NEVER).
So when it came to Mother's Day, I figured, no big deal, he'll catch on. Just to be on the safe side, I made an extra special fuss over Father's Day.
He deserved it, being the fab dad that he is, but I also hoped my planning efforts would rub off on him.
Fast forward to the following May. When I asked if he'd made any plans for Mother's Day yet (I didn't want to accidentally double-book spa appointments), Dave seemed... confused. We were spending the holiday with his extended family, and once again he had associated Mother's Day responsibilities with the older generations. In a way, this was flattering -- he thinks of me as his girlfriend, not somebody's mommy. But the holiday whore in me didn't see it that way.
Me: "Honey, how could you not be thinking about Mother's Day? Don't you remember that nice Father's Day I planned for you with brunch and presents?"
Him: "Not really. That was like, a whole year ago."
And therein lies the problem.
Which brings me back to my original point:
Swap Mother's Day and Father's Day and everyone wins. If Father's Day comes first, in May, then dads will enjoy the bar-setting bounty of their holiday. When Mother's Day rolls around in June, moms will benefit from the recent memory of their Father's Day efforts.
Write to your congressmen. Especially the congresswomen.
Are you with me?
Happy Father's Day.
Post originally appeared on Carriage Before Marriage.
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