Mother. Mama. Mumsy. Through different cries across the globe, from hungry toddlers to angsty teens to upset adults, we always call upon her.
Mothers are the most important women in our lives – so important that society has given us a mandated day to honour them.
And yet, as March draws in, I think to myself: do I need my calendar to tell me when I should buy mama a present? Do I need to be reminded every day in the run-up to 14 March “don’t forget to order an extortionately priced bouquet of red roses now in time for Mother’s Day?”
What if I want to buy them on 20 March? Or (if I am feeling the maverick) 14 April? It feels forced.
My point is, I do not need a day to commemorate how much I love my mama. I stand firmly in the position that Mother’s Day – like all other gimmicky days (a national Daughter’s Day exists, I kid you not) – is a scam designed purely for the benefit of retailers who eagerly fill their coffers off the backs of our spending frenzy.
Mother’s Day is just a money-maker, targeting people who are guilted into buying a present for the most important woman they know on a specific day. The commercialism of the day has become such that if you fail to buy something, your name is besmirched in town forever.
And for the outraged who cry out in their split-second ‘Aha! Gotcha!’ moment, “But Hafsa, how can you even comment on the matter when you’re not even a mother?”
Well, no I am not. Excellent deduction. But I am the daughter of a mother. And every single year, mama says: “Why isn’t everyday Mother’s Day? What if I want roses next week?”
Then she gets roses next week, too, I guess.
Let me explain. A person as important as a mother should be revered all 365 days a year. My mama is my confidante, friend, champion all rolled in one. She is that one person whose simple smile embraces my heart in a warmth unrivalled.
In her arms, I feel at home. She is the person that will always be there for me. Anything I ever do for her just cannot be matched to what she had done for me.
And thanking her for it once a year just seems superficial to me. Forced almost. You may as well say: “Hey mum. It’s Mother’s Day so I got you this.” Do we only buy her things or spoil her with breakfast in bed because it is a day?
Mother’s Day should be a thing of the past. This past year more than ever has taught us to cherish those we love. Many of us have lost – or feared the loss of a loved one including our mothers. So why shouldn’t we spoil them all the time?
I, for one, have always been the type to whimsically buy for my mama simply because I love surprising her. I relish the feeling of singing out, “mama, I have got a surprise for you!”
But, even as I write this, I have a browser window up, moments away from purchasing mama a beautiful bouquet of 50 red roses.
Despite my grumblings, I know that because of its razzmatazz (bravo retailers, bravo), mama will be expecting something. And I cannot speak for anyone else but I just cannot bear to upset the number one lady in my life.
Can you?
