Mother’s Day. I have to say, I have mixed feelings about the holiday. To me, it is what Valentine’s Day is to my husband—a Hallmark holiday. That said, I appreciate that Valentine’s Day reminds us to show our love. And in our hectic life, we need that reminder. Even if you don’t give a card, if you go out to dinner or somehow celebrate your love, you’ve gotten the point.

But my kids show their love—and to some extent their appreciation—for me every day. (They’re three and six.) Simple_Love_cut

Instead, Mother’s Day is a source of guilt. While I know many Moms take the day for themselves, I feel guilty. If I’m celebrating being a Mom, shouldn’t I be a Mom on this day and spend time with the kids?

And then I also need to spend time or acknowledge my Mom and mother-in-law. Both are fantastic women who do so much for us. I should probably be celebrating my Grandma and Aunts, too.

Finally, there seems to be this expectation of wishing all other Moms a Happy Mother’s Day. In past years, I’ve received numerous texts from friends wishing me a good day. (After this post, I might not tomorrow.) I so appreciate their heartfelt wishes. Maybe they’re celebrating the motherhood bond we share. But again, I have guilt. Should I be sending texts to all my mother friends? I’ll post on Instagram and Facebook. Hopefully that will do.

I’m sure you’re saying to yourself…she’s totally overthinking it. Take the day and relax. That’s what it is meant to be. And I probably should. However, I’ll always prefer my birthday where I can guilt-free go to the spa and receive happy messages without having to wonder how I should be reciprocating.

So tomorrow I’ll be doing what I usually do on a Sunday with the boys. Spending time with them and trying to enjoy this time in their lives while they still want to be with me, do cute things, and show their affection regularly. Maybe I’ll sneak in a massage or mani/pedi. And, of course, we’ll be reading. Here’s some of our favorite Mother’s Day books:

I hope your Mother’s Day doesn’t end up as messy as it is in these books. Enjoy your day and try not to feel guilty like me.