Last year,
my older son Tall approached me and complained, “Mom, why is there a Mother’s Day
and a Father’s Day, but no Kids’ Day?”
It was one
of those age-old things that kids have said since the beginning of time and
Hallmark, like “Are we there yet?” and “Do I have to?” or “It’s not fair!” It was a code phrase that is hard-wired into
their little psyches in utero, if not before then.
Of course,
my first instinct was to respond the way my mom always did (“Because every day
is Kids’ Day”), but upon further reflection (and truth be told, a nice glass of
Chardonnay), I thought, Why not? Why not
make a day that is just for them?
I did not
worry that the Holiday Police would find me.
Had they stopped the fun of St. Patrick’s Day or Groundhog Day? I think not.
With the Holiday Police, the more holidays, the better. Earth Day, Cinco de Mayo (celebrated by
Americans who cannot pronounce it), Mardi Gras, Boss’s Day? Bring it!
When I
submitted my new holiday proposal to the Center for Holiday Advancement and
Enlightenment (who do you think pays the Holiday Police), I knew that I had to
come up with a catchy title. After all,
I did not want them to laugh at me or turn me down. That’s when I knew what our holiday should
be: Brothers’ Day.
Next up was
the pesky task of choosing the day. September
21 was out, because that is my birthday and there was no way I was going to
share it (although I do share it with Larry Hagman and Bill Murray). Seems like July 4 was already taken, as was
December 25. Then I eliminated the
months my sons and The Husband were born.
Next, we got out a dartboard, a Ouija board, and a Magic 8 ball for some
expert input. Somehow, we landed at August.
August would
be great. No need to pull the kids out
of school to celebrate. No need to wear
coats. We picked the first of the month so
it would be easy to remember, and it is.
Last year
was our first official Brothers’ Day. (I
did notice it was not in the newspapers.)
The Husband took the day off from work, and we asked the boys how they
wanted to spend their time, which is how we ended up doing putt-putt golf and bowling
in the same day.
We had a
blast.
This year,
we decided to go to a local waterpark with slides, and then later an animated
movie (“Ice Age”—a nice contrast after being out in the heat all day). We snacked on popcorn and candy, and stayed for
all the credits.
As we walked
out of the theater, Short turned to me and said, “Mommy, this is the best
holiday ever. Who came up with it?”
MOV
