Monday, May 15, 2006

"Don't be a girly man."

In case you were worried sick about my welfare, take a deep breathe of relief. I've got a new heater now. That's right. I can feel the ends of my toes again.

I called my mum yesterday to tell her that this year will be the last Mother's Day I'll ever recognize. I also told her to pass on the message to my dad cause the same applies to Father's Day '06. See, I've been thinking. My whole life Mother's Day and Father's Day have been acknowledged and duly celebrated whereas Children's Day was ignored and largely confined to school grounds where their idea of celebration involves speeches, upon speeches, upon speeches. Her reply: "Eh, since when got Children's Day?"

Anyway, I told her that until they started to do something about the non-celebration of Children's Day there shouldn't be a special day for the parents either. She started going on about how the role of the mother is integral and yadayadayada, to which I replied, pretty smugly in fact, that without the child there can be no mom. I mean, technically a woman only gains the title of mom with the delivery of a child, right? I knew I had a point, a valid one in fact. And if I sold it well enough, I could expect a windfall of gifts.

Me: "So you see my point ma? Unless you all start celebrating Children's Day, retroactively if I might add, it isn't fair that mums and dads get the recognition."

Ma
: "Okay fine. If you think I'm not important then you don't have to do anything in the future."

Me: "Wait.. I didn't say you weren't important. I just said-"

Ma: "No, it's okay. I get it. You're a big girl now and your mother isn't important anymore."

Me: -oh no- "No ma.. Of course you're important!"

Ma: "All I want is for my kids to love me. And now you don't want to celebrate Mother's Day anymore-"

Me: -AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-

In the end I gave in. Damn dirty guilt card and parents' penchant to subscribe to it in instances where their superior standing in the family triangle is challenged.