Since I was two years old my home life was filled with my mother and myself. I don’t remember much of anything that happened before I turned five, and so, for the majority of my childhood, my mom was the only thing I knew.

For the longest time it felt as though I was the only person to have one parent, it was awkward and at times my lack of a father made me feel isolated in school. The schools I attended would provide the opportunity for students to make gifts for their parents every Christmas, Mother’s day, and Father’s day. Father’s day was the worst with father themed cards and activities, followed by Christmas and the encouragement from teachers to make gifts for both of your parents. Even Mother’s day was different, but not in a bad way.

My mom was quite literally the only person I had that I could depend on, and for that reason Mother’s day was extremely important to me. It provided me the opportunity to show my love for her in a tangible way. Sure, saying “I love you” and giving lots of hugs and kisses would be sufficient, but my mom deserved to have gifts.

At a glance the task of giving gifts may not seem hard, but as a small child with no access to money that wasn’t my mom’s, getting her presents was challenging. That’s why I valued the activities my school did for Mother’s day so much, because it gave me the chance to give my mom what I thought she deserved. Whether it be a clay bowl or a bead bracelet, anything my school could help me create I was thankful for.

However, while grateful for the activities my school held, the fulfillment and joy that came with Mother’s day was easily washed away by the sadness that came with Father’s day.  I understand that the absence of my father was not a good reason for my classes to not do special things for Father’s day, because for all I knew to one of my peers Father’s day was what Mother’s day was to me. But, I cannot help but be bitter about the feeling of being completely and utterly alone at school whenever Father’s day rolled around. My complete issue with Father’s day, however, is for another article yet to come.