I always feel a little weird around the parents days. You know, Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day (I have chosen my own apostrophe placement, take that as you will)? I send cards. I don't send even a little gift because it seems...silly? That's not the right word but I don't know what is. It's a day. Like Valentines Day it's a Hallmark designed holiday but I exchanged cards with my dad for that up until I was about 28 so I'm not totally against those things. Auntie Blanche and Aunt Rena used to send me St. Patrick's Day cards and Halloween cards. I'm pretty much all for anything that means someone receives snail mail. I read about people sending off fancy packages or ordering flowers or planning a gigantic BBQ, though, and I wonder if I'm doing it wrong.
I mean, there is no wrong, there's just what you do and I own what I do but I did feel the need to check in. I don't remember my parents buying big things for their parents on these days. I'm pretty sure there were cards but I don't remember those either so perhaps gift giving happened and I just didn't know it. So I send a card, usually a blank one with a short message written in my own hand, sometimes even a homemade one. I know, call me Martha.
What I'm getting at, though, is this: what do you do? No judgment, I'm just interested.
Now, I have to run. I'm about to miss the deadline for mailing a Fathers' Day card.
*Disclaimer: This is not my dad. I was too busy eating Lobster Frittata to take a picture of my dad last weekend. Oops.
*Explanation: This is my uncle and one of his grandsons.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
What Do You Do?
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mailed cards to Michael this year, as he's in DC for a few weeks, but that's all we ever do anyway. some years it's nothing but a mention of it, once in awhile there are flowers or something handmade. I call my dad/mom on the appropriate day, that's rare enough as it is.
ReplyDeleteMom's Day = lunch out somewhere, card, gift or three. Mom likes gifts. i like to spoil her. sometimes i'll make dessert as well as give her things.
ReplyDeleteDad's Day = a gift, usually something he specifically wants or needs. lunch somewhere. he's more interested in simply spending time together. i'm tempted, this year, to drag his ass on another hike - that was part of my Christmas present to him, and we both thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Usually cards and as they got older, my brother and I would take them to lunch or dinner...Dave's kids either send him a card or write him a note on FB, although his older took him out for a steak the other night for Father's Day. Even tho he's not my father, I got him a nice card and some tea. I like to acknowledge that he's a good dad :-)
ReplyDeleteSince I have no contact with my biological parents and my adopted mother died in 2009, I don't have any one to commemorate on those days. We get cards and take the in-laws to dinner on those days, and the girls make us cards (and sometimes make us breakfast), but that's about it.
ReplyDeleteI make phone calls. Sometimes I do something like a lunch for Bonusmom but that's it.
ReplyDelete