What I Want For Mother’s Day This Year

I’ve had my tribe celebrate me being a mother for 27 years. My first Mother’s Day was in 1994, and I remember how wonderful it was to receive flowers and candy. I had just become a mom then–my son was born in April, so we were still both adjusting to being a team. I remember thinking that I wanted all Mother’s Day to be like my first one; surrounded with my son and people who love me and my motherhood.

Fast forward to me being the mom of two humans. There’s still a lot of pomp and circumstance that comes with Mother’s Day. My family knows me well and they almost always get me Sephora gift cards, flowers, technology like AirPods, and a brunch meal pre-pandemic. My daughter usually writes me a thoughtful letter or poem, and my son makes me the star of his Instagram and other social pages.

There’s a great feeling that comes with Mother’s Day, and understanding that those that love you the most want to honor you and cherish you and thank you for being a good mother.

I’ve got everything I could ever wish for. A loving family who always has my back, a strong village who lifts me up when needed, and all of the bells and whistles that one needs. I have my health and a career that helps me share my purpose with others. There’s not much that I need or want.

But I do have a few wishes for what I want for Mother’s Day this year. This is what I’d like:

For Mother’s Day this year, I would like for police officers and those in authority to stop killing Black people and people or color.

I would like for police officers and those in authority to stop being judge, jury, and executioner of Black people and people of color.

I would like for police officers and those in authority to not take these high risk jobs if they are going to be afraid of every Black person they see.

I would like for police officers and those in authority to treat Black people the way that they treat their white suspects and counterparts.

I would like for police officers and those in authority to be better trained.

I would like for police officers and those in authority to not be racist.

I would like for police officers and those in authority to be found guilty in a court of law for killing unarmed Black people and people of color.

I would like for police officers and those in authority to stop protecting other police officers and those in authority.

I would like for police officers and those in authority to live in the neighborhoods they “protect” so they would have more of a sense of the community.

This was probably not what you expected to read. You may feel like you’ve been bamboozled or hoodwinked or that I used clickbait.

I did.

It’s a shame that one would have to resort to using clickbait to get people to read and understand that what has been going on in America is not okay, but yet here we are. People don’t like to be uncomfortable or to face what’s wrong. We will never get to where we need to be if we don’t get uncomfortable. If we don’t have difficult situations. If we ignore what has been happening or pretend like it doesn’t exist.

If you prefer to do that, it’s your right. But as the owner of this blog and the mother of two Black children, your comfortability isn’t my problem.

I hope that one day soon, I will get what I want for Mother’s Day. Until then…