No Mother's Day 2012: Yay Or Nay?

How do you feel about this “No Mother's Day” PSA? I honestly have very mixed feelings. Hear me out...

For those of you not familiar with the PSA please watch this.

I admire Dooce blogger Heather B. Armstrong and my personal idol, NBC Journalist Ann Curry for participating in the “No Mother's Day” PSA. One thousand women will die this year, due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth—90% of which are preventable. This year to raise awareness celebs, bloggers, news anchors and moms next door are vowing to boycott Mother's Day in an act of solidarity to show just how much a mother is missed when she is gone. They are not going to answer the phone, update their status or accept a gift. It’s bold, screams GIRL POWER, but quite puzzling to me.

As a single Mom, a mommy blogger with a giant platform here on parenting.com, I am not participating in this movement, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care or don’t get it, I just don’t think ignoring Mother's Day is a smart move for me. I have a 4-year-old little boy who is attached to my hip that doesn’t get it—and his feelings matter more to me—that’s not selfish—that's smart.

I just got back from Mother's Day Tea at his preschool. He was so excited to see me when I walked into his classroom at 10 AM. “Mom-meeeeeee,” he said running over to me. I picked him up and whirled him around. We sat at a little table with his friends and their moms. We shared a giant corn muffin and did a craft together. JD was bursting, doing an ants-in-my-pants dance when he presented me with the gift he made—he tore the lavender tissue paper open before I could. This here, is his little hand print. How could I miss this? Should I have not attended and left him in his classroom motherless? I’m not the only one who shares this sentiment. The comments under the YouTube video sway this way, too. Does this make me a bad Mom? A heartless woman? I feel like it does. I feel like this PSA put me in a really sh*tty position. 

I bought my Mom a new summer bag for Mother's Day. It’s canvas with navy denim trim—nothing fancy, but totally her style—she loves that her mag Market Editor daughter picks things out for her. JD will give her a little plant. We’re spending Sunday at the Jersey shore and Uncle Carlo is grilling filet mignon. I’m excited to spend time with my Mom and family, fly a kite on the beach and build a sand castle with JD. As a Mom, I just gotta celebrate this day and I gotta let my kid be excited about it. My Mom is 63 and I want to spend time with her. I have several friends my age whose moms are gone now and it breaks my heart.

So on this Mother's day I vow to be a Mom and a daughter. And it doesn’t mean I don’t care about the beautiful women who died due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Frankly, they have nothing to do with it. And I know how bold that reads. Speak. Don't Silence.

Happy Mother's Day! What are you doing? How do you feel about this bold campaign?

More info @ ChristineCoppa.net

My book Rattled! makes a great Mother's Day gift! Download the audible version here or a copy to your E-reader here.  Thank you for your support!