Mother, Mom...Mum's the word: The House Rules! 

The Royal Treatment: At least this one day per year, set aside to more formally acknowledge what moms, mothers do every day that, "try as I might" I can't duplicate myself, these Herculean feats they accomplish, many unseen, largely underappreciated. Nor was I able to locate the commercial, after exhaustive Google searches, that features a husband/dad, upon arriving home, finding children at play, the house in disarray, and finally finding his wife/mom midst the mess, all she could offer, in way of explanation..."You know all the things I do every day while you are elsewhere, to keep it, the house-hold together...well, today I didn't..." (In other words, "This is what it would look like..."). Our house-holders...

Royal rules, partial acceptance: As well as partially explained. That is, if you are a regular follower here, you were partially informed on 5-8-23, just after the most recent coronation in the UK, of a few of the 40+ rules the children of royals are expected to obey...including not being allowed to "name call" in public, a subsection of which refers not only to nick-names for each other, how (not) to use last names...but also not being able to call the Queen "Grandma" -- at least "officially". Off the record, according to the "Daily Mail" and other Royal Watcher agencies, the grands, and the greats, were allowed a bit of slippage, and only partial application of this most restrictive rules, as "Her Royal Highness" (The late Queen Elizabeth) apparently also answered to "Grammy" and "Gan-Gan". So, what...?

"Name It!" Which pretty much sums up what children and their father ask, plea for, perhaps even on the eve of Mother's Day which, over here celebrated, marked off as "Her special day" (which does not actually translate into a day off, given the bed crumbs left after the so-called "royal treatment", but nevertheless an opportunity to show our appreciation, gratitude) this very day I post this, whereas over there, in the Queen's territory, already passed on 3/19/23, aka "Mothering Sunday". A plea for not making us guess wrong, about what she really would like...

"Truth be told" And where else can you find more about what moms want, as well as the "great reveal" (and you thought this was just a recent fad) -- but from the "Bard of Avon" himself (one Willam Shakespeare), who purported to know a lot about mothers and their off-spring. As well as women as a subject in and of themselves. Though-fully portrayed in "Romeo and Juliet" when Juliet, contemplatively asks aloud, on the balcony "What's in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet". A partial answer for what moms may prefer on Mother's Day, perhaps prefer over the more common Chrysanthe-mum plants (and the origin of FTD?). While she may remain silent on the subject, aka "keep you guessing"...the simple truth is, that no matter what you adorn her with today, what moms have told me "in confidence" over the years, her crowning moment was when she came to be called (early and often) "mom", "mother", "grammy", and other term of endearment. And that the last thing a mom really wants is to live by the house rule "mum's the word". That is, a household of quietude: "Please give me a call, let me hear from you from time-to-time, and please, please, don't make me feel like you are obligated...well..." 

Happy Mother's Day! Now, and All Ways.