The Pursuit Of Happiness

Growing up, I often heard my mother, especially around the Christmas holiday, tell us kids (and my father), "Can't you just be in a good mood?" or "Please be happy." My sister and I would often joke that the holidays were really "Holly's Days" (my mom's name is Holly) and we needed to go along for the ride. It always used to irritate me and made me think was so controlling that she wanted to even control our moods, but just recently I have come to totally appreciate her sentiments.

For some reason this past holiday season made me realize how much work a mother has to do to help her family celebrate and create memories. The mother of the family is like the captain at the helm of a ship -- everyone's on board, but mom decides how it is going to go and points things in the right direction. Would there be decorations or a tree up in our house if it wasn't for me? Would we have homemade gifts to give family and friends if I didn't make them? Who bought the majority of the gifts? What about our traditional Christmas breakfast? Etc., etc. I'm sure you catch my drift. It's not that I don't enjoy doing all of those things, but when you put that much effort into it, you want a little in return. All I want is for my family to be happy and in a good mood, enjoying all of the things I worked hard to make happen. For the most part, everyone was in a good mood, but I feel like all of the hubbub of Christmas and New Year's have transformed John into a pre-adolescent girl. When he wakes up in the morning he starts crying because he can't find something (he collects everything from little bouncy balls to flourescent golf tees to dice and has them all tucked away in various parts of the house), and then he is mad because he might have to change his clothes, and then he is crying because his remote-control car is stuck under his bed, and then he grumpy that his puzzle isn't looking right or he only has two black markers. It gets a little depressing.

I find myself echoing my mother, begging John to just be in good mood so that we can enjoy eachother's company. "Smile. Be Happy.", is a well-used phrase at our house. Because, kid, if I'm here trying my hardest to be a good mother to you, you darn well can try to be cheerful for part of the day.

Amy