Mother’s Day Disappointment

By Karrie Richert

Hey mamas out there. Can we talk about Mother’s Day disappointment? I hear from a lot of moms about dreading this day, and preparing themselves ahead of time for all the disappointment. A lot of you feel like you’re the only one not being loved on or honored in some way today. Maybe they forgot to call, or maybe they made you breakfast in bed, leaving you to clean the whole kitchen later by yourself, when all you wanted was a nap. Expectations are the thief of your joy. You are likely the person in your house that is the most thoughtful and expressive. That alone sets you up for disappointment from the beginning, because you are expecting those same things from people who are not necessarily wired the same way. So whether you’re feeling overlooked or under-appreciated, I want to offer a couple of suggestions to help you.

First, remember why you do what you do. You would probably say that you don’t do it all for applause, but a little appreciation would be nice. But if a lack of appreciation makes you want to stop, then you start to see where your motivation has gotten skewed. If we keep it on our minds that we serve our families as a way of serving our God (Colossians 3:23: Whatsoever ye do, do it HEARTILY, as unto the Lord, and not unto [children]), then the One we are serving is never ungrateful (Hebrews 6:10: For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed in His name).

So if you’re feeling some Mother’s Day angst, here is my challenge to you. Let’s shift our thinking away from this being a day to be appreciated by your family, and toward this being a day to remember all the reasons why you love being a mother, and having appreciation for them. Have a day of reflection on what a privilege it is to serve your sweet family in this role. Your joy on this day is not determined by how much or how little they show you love. I promise you, it is determined by how much you choose to love your job as mom. Go celebrate Mother’s Day today by hugging each of your children and telling them why you love being their mom, and thank God for the ministry He’s given you. Happy Mother’s Day!