Awards Season: Gimme a Prize
Awards Season is upon us. The Grammys. The Golden Globes. The Oscars. Everyone is having their shindig to pat one another on the back for their work in 2017. Companies are having end of year banquets and celebrations. I would’ve joined Jill last weekend in New Hampshire with the girls, but I was at my husband’s year end company banquet where trophies and prizes were handed out, people clapping and congratulating each other. It’s the season for it. It’s all very lovely. Congrats to everyone getting awards for last year.
All dolled up for the company awards banquet.
Listen. I want a dang trophy. I know motherhood is supposed to be selfless and sacrificial and you will get your reward when you’re dead and your kids say all the nice things about you at your funeral, but I want a goll dang prize right now.
And the nominees for most amount of hours spent lovingly preparing food that your kids looked at and made a silent gagging face are... (clap clap clap)
And the winner for the most amount of patience shown during an epic meltdown over a sibling eating the last bowl of sugar cereal is…
I’d like to announce the best supporting actress in a car ride home from school, in pretending to understand a game at recess that involved the phrase “Guess what…”
In hair and makeup, the award for going the most days in a row without washing hair and still passing for acceptable at the bus stop goes to...
Ladies and gentlemen, this year’s Eight Year Prize for changing diapers without any years break in between goes to…
Can we have an awards ceremony for the menial things that happen in motherhood that we aren’t supposed to celebrate? Can I have a prize for not complaining, not even to myself, the last time I cleaned up puke from the bunk beds? Can I have a trophy for getting all four of my kids to school on time everyday, for like, the 3rd year in a row?
In thinking about this, I decided throwing my own award ceremony would be a little crazy. (Who would emcee? Do I serve dinner? Do I write my own introduction when accepting the Lifetime Achievement Award?) I decided to look around for prizes I already have, that aren’t engraved, but they are pretty amazing.
This guy. He's been my trophy husband for almost 13 years now.
I have THREE handwritten thank you cards sitting on my desk, all received within a few weeks of each other from really amazing women I love and adore.
One of my 8 year olds decided this year that he is too old to give me a kiss when I see him at school, but he still bear hugs me like nobody's business.
My husband can’t keep his hands off me AND he thinks I’m smart.
My bedroom window faces east, and I see a different sky painted in different colors every sunrise.
My son looked around at the corner of the house I finally put together after Christmas was put away and exclaimed, “Wow mom! I love how shiny and clean this looks over here!” (Appreciation! Dah!)
I have four amazing kiddos who are creative, kind, and make me a better person everyday. (Even if it’s because I’m deep breathing during bedtime.)
Take-out Thai food is in our budget. (This is an almost weekly trophy.)
My little prizes come in my room every morning and want to hug and cuddle with me. (Daily!)
Can you believe all four of these darling yahoos are mine?
So nobody is going put my name on a trophy for a diaper award. That’s OK. My prizes I already have are constant and more beautiful than a shelf full of Emmys. I wish I could stand on stage and salute all my other sister mothers who just do the dang thing day after day without expectation of prize or reward. My working moms. My stay at home moms. My single moms. My married moms. My new moms. My empty nest moms. I see you. I hope you see your own value too.
PS - Shoutout to my Instagram family who made me feel like a MILLION dollars giving me all those pantsuit compliments! I don’t care who you are, it feels good to be complimented, for any reason. Felt like a legit trophy.
