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After my post yesterday it may have seemed like I'm a 100% fan of Mother's Day, but there is one thing about it that I have always found annoying. I have a beef with the way my church celebrates Mother's Day and since Mother's Day is always on a Sunday pretty much every year I have a beef with the way it celebrates Mother's Day. Each ward is given the ability to choose it's own way but in general every Mother's Day but one that I can remember went like this. Three speakers spoke about their mothers. It was fine. The primary kids sing. It is adorable. All the women are asked to stand and then the young men bring around some type of flower, occasionally accompanied with a book, pamphlet, or card about mothers and one time a chocolate bar. Then they say thanks and we all go to our classes and work our buns off chasing around toddlers, refereeing six years olds, teaching lessons, and leading songs. Most often the flower don't even make it to the third hour. Our kids take them. They pull the petals. They hit each other with them. They start to wilt because they don't have water. If by chance they make it home they look lonely, a single stem in a vase. It is a yearly reminder to me that men and women do not speak the same language. One year my friend Jessica was the Relief Society President and I was the Primary President and we pushed for something different. That year the men in our ward came in and took over the primary and nursery for the last fifteen minutes of church. We had some snacks and we got to stand and chat. This is what 90% of women want. A moment to socialize and some choice when it comes to what we are going to eat. My ideal Mother's Day, if it can't be what they did in my grandmother in laws ward where they let everyone go after the first hour (hello two extra hours of time with your family) but if it can't be that my ideal is that the men of my ward take over the third hour of church. They come in and take care of nursery and primary (our young people's Sunday school which is primarily staffed by woman). All the sisters in our ward get together. We have a short relief society lesson and then we end 15-20 minutes early so that we can all socialize, something that a large portion of the sisters don't normally do because we are in young woman's and primary. We have some food to snack on, some fruits, a cheese platter, good stuff but not necessarily desert heavy. Doesn't that seem heavenly? Well it does to me. I'm sure there are a few sisters who prefer the flowers but I think in general many of us just would appreciate the chance to talk with one another. To me this would be perfection. It makes me wonder if the men in my ward don't like how we do Father's Day, a bag full of cookies? I don't know gentlemen. What would you like?
Sunday, May 19, 2013
My Mother's Day Beef
After my post yesterday it may have seemed like I'm a 100% fan of Mother's Day, but there is one thing about it that I have always found annoying. I have a beef with the way my church celebrates Mother's Day and since Mother's Day is always on a Sunday pretty much every year I have a beef with the way it celebrates Mother's Day. Each ward is given the ability to choose it's own way but in general every Mother's Day but one that I can remember went like this. Three speakers spoke about their mothers. It was fine. The primary kids sing. It is adorable. All the women are asked to stand and then the young men bring around some type of flower, occasionally accompanied with a book, pamphlet, or card about mothers and one time a chocolate bar. Then they say thanks and we all go to our classes and work our buns off chasing around toddlers, refereeing six years olds, teaching lessons, and leading songs. Most often the flower don't even make it to the third hour. Our kids take them. They pull the petals. They hit each other with them. They start to wilt because they don't have water. If by chance they make it home they look lonely, a single stem in a vase. It is a yearly reminder to me that men and women do not speak the same language. One year my friend Jessica was the Relief Society President and I was the Primary President and we pushed for something different. That year the men in our ward came in and took over the primary and nursery for the last fifteen minutes of church. We had some snacks and we got to stand and chat. This is what 90% of women want. A moment to socialize and some choice when it comes to what we are going to eat. My ideal Mother's Day, if it can't be what they did in my grandmother in laws ward where they let everyone go after the first hour (hello two extra hours of time with your family) but if it can't be that my ideal is that the men of my ward take over the third hour of church. They come in and take care of nursery and primary (our young people's Sunday school which is primarily staffed by woman). All the sisters in our ward get together. We have a short relief society lesson and then we end 15-20 minutes early so that we can all socialize, something that a large portion of the sisters don't normally do because we are in young woman's and primary. We have some food to snack on, some fruits, a cheese platter, good stuff but not necessarily desert heavy. Doesn't that seem heavenly? Well it does to me. I'm sure there are a few sisters who prefer the flowers but I think in general many of us just would appreciate the chance to talk with one another. To me this would be perfection. It makes me wonder if the men in my ward don't like how we do Father's Day, a bag full of cookies? I don't know gentlemen. What would you like?
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In our ward for several years now, the young women take over Primary. That frees up their leaders and the primary and nursery leaders, too, and the kids of all ages enjoy the change, too. Then in Relief Society, this year at least, they had a short lesson and then served fruit tarts and we sat and visited and ate. It was fun and also yummy. And this, after they passed out wrapped homemade cookies to all the women over age 18 in sacrament meeting. I think it was pretty good. From Mancy's mom.
ReplyDeleteThat does sound good'
DeleteIn our ward this year the men took over everything (it was a bit like pulling teeth for a while there, but it all worked out) for the third hour and we met combined with the YW. It was a nice break, for sure.
DeleteNice nancy! I complain about this every year but with the exception of the one year with Jess I've been unsuccessful at getting it changed anywhere. It seems like a bunch of other wards are getting it though so that is good!
DeleteMancy's mom--interesting. Should be Nancy's mom! :o)
ReplyDeleteCrys, our ward in Tucson did it your "dream" way. The men took over our callings for the whole last hour and we went up to the gym and enjoyed a frozen yogurt dessert bar. !!! It was fantastic. Now we don't have church on Fridays so this doesn't come up, BUT it's worse because I have work, class, etc. on the actual day of Mother's Day. So in that sense, I kind of feel like I haven't celebrated Mother's Day in about three years. Not that it's all about having a break and a day off...but actually, it kind of IS, am I right??
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteYou are right! Do they do anything special at church on Friday? Do you guys skip Father's Day as well :).
DeleteI loved that year we did that! It was so nice! We should just be in the same ward and do it again! :)
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteThat would be awesome.. And you know something funny, I actually had that very thought on Mother's day as well, even though I've never experienced it in any other ward. I thought, why don't the men take over and give us a break!!
ReplyDelete