Hot Mama!

Mother’s Day celebrations at school are always fun. Songs are sung, poems are read, cookies and juice passed around by little hands. Cards, pencil holders, flowers made out of cupcake holders and tissue paper. I look forward to this day all spring.

My youngest, who’s in the first grade, really gave me the best present of all. In his stack of drawings and projects was a five-page card filled with wonderful things about Moms. We are the kisser of boo-boos, the chef of all things delicious, the fixer of broken toys, finder of lost shoes, etc.

On page four, was the word “MOTHER” written vertically. Every letter had a word written in its place to describe Mom. M=Most fun, O=Outstanding, etc. I work my way down the list of words, taking my time to decipher the handwriting and phonetic spellings and get to the letter “H.” To my surprise my not-quite-seven-year-old lists “Hot.”

In a room with twenty other mothers whose children put “Happy” and “Helpful,” here I stand with “Hot.” At first I’m embarrassed, then I’m alarmed. Should I be concerned that he even knows how to reference this word? What did the teacher think when she saw that? Was she concerned as to what kind of house I run? I feel the teacher glancing in my direction. She looks like she’s nearly half my age, yet I’m strangely intimidated. She thinks I’m a bad mother, I just know it. In a flash, my mind winds through all the places he could have possibly heard this and I start thinking I should censor his TV a little more. The teacher catches my eye and smiles. I let out a sigh of relief. If she's smiling, maybe she doesn't think I'm a freak.

All of my anxiety quickly gives way to vanity. Truthfully, I’m ecstatic. I know that all kids (especially boys) want to have the prettiest Mom in the class. I’m thrilled to be the pretty Mom… not just the pretty Mom, but the “Hot” Mom. I find myself standing a little taller, shoulders back. Damn it! I am HOT! Even if only in the eyes of my six year old – I’ll take it!

Funny how affected I suddenly become. I am now scanning the room, comparing myself to the other Moms. All of us different shapes and sizes. Some with the latest fashions, haircuts and designer purses and others in sweats and ponytails. Some of us in our 20’s and others in our 40’s. Size 2 to size 22. Actually, I’m right smack in the middle of this cross section of women. Pretty well put together, but not a beauty queen either.

Something very interesting occurred to me: We Moms know that each and every one of us has given birth to the most beautiful child in the world. What we don’t realize is that our children ALL think they have the most beautiful Mommy ever! We’re always so busy admiring them, we don’t realize we’re getting admired right back!

To all Moms out there… we’re all HOT!

Happy Mother’s Day!