Olympic Commercial

            P & G is running an Olympics-themed commercial that is beautiful.  It’s a “Thanks Mom” thing paying tribute to all the things that moms do for their kids.  I guess things that can help them make it to the Olympics.  (Click HERE to see it if you haven’t.)   It’s a great spot that could really choke me up… if it didn’t make me feel so negligent.

            I remember, when my kids were very little, talking to a neighbor whose son played hockey.  They had to wake up before dawn to drive to practice before school and they drove all over the country for games.  Their vacations centered on his hockey.  I remember walking away from that conversation thinking, “Yikes-  I hope my kids  are mediocre athletes.  I don’t think I am up for that.”  (I’m so sorry, J.  I didn’t know I was dooming them by thinking that innocent, lazy, little thought.)

            I would like to think that if they were really passionate about something I would be dragging them all over the place without complaint.  But would I?  When my daughter was little she was interested in being a Girl Scout.  My friend’s daughter was interested as well.  It just so happened that there were no troops or spaces in either of our schools.  (We lived in different towns.)  I told my daughter, “I’m sorry, honey, maybe next year.”  My friend started a troop. (It never even occurred to me to start a troop.  My mind went directly to, "Oh well, you're out of luck this year, honey.") But I had excuses! Two smaller children and a declining parent to take care of-  it’s not just that I was lame!   Plus my daughter wasn't passionate about it!  She didn't seem to care about not being a Girl Scout that year.  Yeah, that’s it…

            But this commercial is making me feel guilty.  After all of the wonderful, heartwarming scenes, it says “Thank you, Mom”.  Some versions say “Great job, Mom.” None of them say, “You suck, Heather.”  But that’s what I’ve been seeing!  Did I just get lucky that my kids don’t have a passion that has me driving all over the free world?  Or do I subconsciously SQUASH any leanings? I do have some things that I am great at as a parent.  But they will never become Olympians because I keep sno-cone syrup in the house for snow days or make homemade play-dough…

            It’s funny how when you are a young adult you fret about all your physical shortcomings.  Then, as a parent, you transfer all that angst into how you are failing your kids.  You could do 99% of it “right” but still lose sleep over that 1%- like the gorgeous supermodel who hates her toes…  I’m sure I’m not even close to doing it 99% right but I like to pretend and these commercials are ruining my delusions of grandeur.  And, yes, I know that being an Olympian doesn’t equal perfect parenting/mothering but, since sports are our current household shortcomings, it’s feeding my angst… 

            Could I get P & G to do a spot about moms who let their kids sleep late on the weekends, who feed them breakfast for dinner, who make a solar oven to cook smores in the driveway and perpetrate sunblock ambushes?  That would make me feel much better...