My Instagram reeks of love today, genuinely fake love. The newsfeed seemed like a competition. It was like a show and tell. Mother’s day is more about showcasing motherhood than celebrating it now.
Mother’s day is a day that is supposed to be reserved for moms. Since I live in Pakistan, I don’t really understand the concept of Mother’s day. But my friends upload pictures of their moms anyway, so maybe I am missing something. You see, in Pakistan, most people live with extended families. Not only does your mom live with you, but your dad’s mom lives with you too. Although this trend is slowly changing, most families are still tightly knit.
In the west, most people lead independent lives. Kids move away from home when they go to college. Everyone has their own lives. Maybe it makes sense to celebrate the Mother’s day in the west. Out of the 365 days of the year, you reserve a day for your mother. So far so good.
I am not trying to take a jibe at the people living in the west. Living together does not quantify or prove the deepness of the love you have for your mom. The cultural setup of the west is very different from ours. And that’s the beauty of this world.
When I was scrolling down my Instagram, people had posted photos of their mothers along with overused quotations such as: ‘Mom, I wouldn’t be where I am today without you’. Seriously? Have people run out of genuine things to say to their mothers’ Why can’t you write a simple message or leave that space alone? Or better enough, why don’t you let Mother’s day be a sacred day?
Mother’s day seemed like a forced festival to me now. Perform some rites on this day, and congratulations, you have repaid your mother for all she had ever done for you. There are two ways to celebrate the Mother’s day. Either you bring cake and flowers or you take your mom to a restaurant. Taking a picture is a must. This is an obligatory rite on the commercial event called the Mother’s day. Once you get a good picture, you can ignore your mom as she eats the cake (or the food), while you post that picture on Instagram/Facebook. Keep your competitive streak on when you post the picture. Explain why your mother is the absolute best in the world so that other moms can learn a lesson or up their game.
Mother’s day is a field day for retailers, bakeries, flower shops, and restaurants. Since we live in a materialistic world, it is absolutely necessary to buy a cake for your mom, even if she is prediabetic. Why do businesses give discounts on Mother’s day? Why not sell to mother’s at a dscounted price all year round, if you really care about the moms of the world so much?
On this Mother’s day, please do not do anything for your mom. Do not put her up on social media for show and tell. Do not tell her how much you love her. Do not treat her like a queen for a day, and ignore her for the rest of the year like she does not exist.
