Happy belated Mother’s Day to anyone who celebrates it. I know it can be a rough day for some and I’m sorry if you fall into that category. Fortunately, it’s over now and we don’t have to talk about it for another year. Well, after today we don’t need to talk about it for another year. Jenna Bush Hager was talking to Hoda Kotb on the fourth hour of TODAY. Jenna said she had a lovely Mom’s Day this year, mostly because she got to go home, which sounds kind of funny, but I get it. It also sounded lowkey but nice, with flowers from the kids and her husband Henry Hager getting Jenna her favorite Mexican food. Jenna said that overall, she was pleased but that was because her bar is pretty low. Her logic is that because moms never know how Mother’s Day is going to go, it’s best to lower our expectations.
Jenna Bush Hager spent a special Mother’s Day with her three kids.
The TODAY with Hoda and Jenna co-host, 41, celebrated the holiday with husband Henry Hager and their three kids — son Hal, 3, and daughters Poppy Louise, 7, and Margaret “Mila” Laura, 10, as she explained on-air Monday.
Chatting about the holiday with co-host Hoda Kotb, the mom of two remarked, “You never know how Mother’s Day is going to go.”
Bush Hager agreed, adding, “You have to have low expectations, so you have low expectations and then you’re just grateful you get to enjoy it.”
For the special day, the family of five traveled home, which Bush Hager said was “really fun.”
“The kids cut me some flowers, which I thought was really sweet,” she shared. “Henry got me some Mexican food for dinner, which I love. And then Henry was like, ‘Who wants to say a toast for mommy?'”
The mom of three got varying levels of enthusiasm from her kids about the prospect.
I love the part where Henry asked who wanted to say nice things about their mom and Jenna’s kids were like, “I’m good.” That’s such a kid response. Apparently, Poppy came through with a prayer to make up for the lack of response. That’s pretty solid thinking on her feet.
The part that’s getting to me is where moms have to lower their expectations because their families can’t be expected to celebrate them properly. Let me start by saying that I’m sure this is not a universal truth. There are plenty of stories of how families came through for their mom. Some moms only want a good book and to be left alone for ‘their’ day. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the fact that this comment would never be made about Father’s Day. The whole point of Mothers Day is to make up for all the crap Mom puts up with the rest of the year. Asking her to be the one to make the necessary adjustment to not be disappointed defeats the purpose, does it not? Sure, if a mother has really high expectations, it would behoove her to express that to her family. But most moms are just ‘expecting’ for a little forethought and genuine intent behind the affirmations distributed, be they verbal or physical. How low are we expected to go, sheesh.
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