Holiday Raincheck

Poor Joe.

The guy cannot win. I have a spring birthday, right in the heart of calving season. Our third daughter was born the day after we finished planting beans, the very day after the most difficult, frustrating, and sleep-deprived planting season in the history of the world (well, that's a bit dramatic, but whatever). We're having our son in a few weeks, deep into the planting season.

And now, this weekend, when the weather is finally cooperating, the planter and chopper are rolling, is Mother's Day.

That's why, when the weather cooperated again, Joe proclaimed he wished that he could get a spring holiday/birthday rain check, and allow for said events to be rescheduled during a more convenient time. His mom will not be getting her card in time. I'm certain that I will get one...just in a few days or weeks. I received the most special one my third mother's day when he wrote a cute poem in regards to his lack of acknowledgment of the holiday due to farming. It's tucked away in my "save" file.

I agree with the holiday raincheck theory. Who doesn't want a day to be celebrated, but there's no way that Joe can stop what he's doing now, take me out to dinner and then watch the kids while I go and sit at the spa, getting my toenails painted...since I haven't seen them in a while. However, contrary to popular marketing campaigns, I am not a mother who expects diamonds, flowers, chocolates, or a fancy cell phone. I am okay (and pretty good at it, if you ask my adoring, non-spender husband) with buying myself new things when necessary (or at a great price). I don't expect to be waited on hand-and-foot on mother's day. We're not brunch eaters...we get up too early.

It's not fair to guys, especially farmers, to have a holiday like this in the midst of a truly busy time. There are at least three mothers in our operation who will get the short end of the stick tomorrow, and we've all come to terms with it in our own little ways. We'll spend the day with our moms, be with our own children (the reason why we're celebrated on this day, anyway...who would have thought???), try to catch some zzz's or a bit of quiet time with a magazine when the kids are out and about. We'll do what we do every day, because we're moms. That's what we do. While it would be nice to be greeted with a "take the day off" proclamation, I know that's not the case for me, so my expectations are not there. I know Joe knows that I am a gift person, but unless I want a new hat from LG seeds or something chosen from the check out counter at the EZ Stop in town, I need to know that the thankfulness I get from him comes every day, or in the mere suggestion that they'll be done soon, and then, maybe then, I can treat myself to something in honor of being a mother.

But do I really need to? Does a pedicure equal a thanks for giving birth? On some days, yes, however, today, I am realizing that while I am the mother of three (nearly four) kids, Joe's job as a farmer is very close to mothering. As a cattle man and a grain farmer, he is just doing what I have done for the past nine months, even six years, and maybe I should celebrate that. He is creating an environment for his little "children" so that they can succeed and grow and do great things as food and fuel for our country. I should remember that he's not out golfing, goofing off or ignoring me. He's working to provide for our family and the world around us.

So, on this Mother's Day eve, I am celebrating myself, my mom, grandma, mother-in-law, and now my farmer. Life is good, and I don't need a pedicure to remind myself of what an honor it is to be in the professions we are. However, I would like to know what color my toenails are...