My father is a Vietnam vet. He doesn't talk much about it. All I know is that he was stationed near Da Nang. A few grainy pictures of daddy, the olive green of his uniform saturating the picture are the only thing that he shares. Once I stumbled upon is honorable discharge papers while looking for a copy of my elementary school records. However every year we always made a point to tell him, "Happy Veteran's Day". Sometimes we took him out to dinner. A few years ago, I asked him where he wanted to go for dinner for Veteran's Day. His answer surprised me. "Nowhere", he replied. He said he couldn't go out and eat steak knowing that young men and women were stuck in Iraq and Afghanistan on the front lines eating K (or was it C) rations. I asked, "are you sure?". "Yes, until they all come home", was his reply.
I feel the same way about Mother's Day. Although this is not my first Mother's Day, it is my first with a live baby. I'm not going to go out to eat tomorrow with Andy in tow. I won't wear a corsage and wait with the masses to eat Sunday Brunch. I just can't do it. It doesn't feel right. I read on another blog (I'll be damned but I can't remember whose) a similar sentiment. I can't take Andy out to eat while some other woman at the next table didn't get to take her baby home. So I'm letting my DH know tomorrow we are staying in. "Until they all come home (from the hospital) I say."
PS. I am taking my mother to Luby's today for Mother's Day. It is all she wanted.
Monica
edited to add: my DH hacked me off by giving me a card that read, "Happy First Mother's Day". I didn't even know what to say so I said nothing. I guess our first baby didn't count.
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