Happy... What?!

I was driving through town yesterday when I saw this huge banner hanging in the center of town: Happy National Child Care Giver Appreciation Day! May 11, 2008

When did this happen? When was my Mother's Day demoted to a "Child Care Giver Appreciation Day"? Now all my work as a hardworking mom is clumped together with daycare workers and nannies. I am being equalized with babysitters! It's insulting. It's disgusting.

This reminds me of my final years of teaching, when they changed "Teacher Appreciation Day" to "Staff Appreciation Day." This meant that I, as a college graduate, a credentialed teacher -- with extra years of school and tests to pass in order to get my accreditation -- was on the same level as the custodian or the cafeteria lady. No offense to those guys; they work hard too. But don't put us in the same league. It's much more impressive to be a teacher in the classroom than it is to spoon creamed corn on to a plate. I was offended then, too.

It seems that in order to be more inclusive, not to offend those people without mothers perhaps, that you have excluded the people that actually used to matter on this holiday -- Mothers. My position as Mother has just been swiped clean of all merit, shoving it under the passing fancy and careless thanks of a high schooler who watches your kids and raids your fridge. And what is Father's Day going to become? "Sperm Donor Appreciation Day"? Seriously!

Well, thanks, but... no, thanks.

And Happy Mother's Day!