Halmark verses tide in an olympic battle

Growing up, if I was with my family watching tv in the family room and a hallmark commercial came on, I would find a reason to leave the room. I had it figured out that these commercials were made to create mushy moments for teens that would rather be left alone. You have seen it. The daughter is leaving for college and leaves the mother a card that says all and more about how much she means to her and tears and embracing happen. My mom, being the great mother she is would look at me and my sister with weld up eyes longing for her daughters to have a moment with her. Me, being the stubborn independent daughter-runs to the bathroom-avoiding all contact.
Well, I’m a mother now of a new generation. Ben, Sam and Jack were tucked away in bed. Jason and I were sitting on the tv veggin out after a long day. The olympics were on. What a great example of dedication. You hear the stories of the athletes and cheer them on as they compete. Then it is time for another commercial break. Tide-you know. The grass stain fighter. Well, obviously they have tapped in to the same emotional driven campaign that hallmark has been running for years. The commercial consists of heart strung music decorated with shots of moms cheering on their sons and daughters as they compete in the chance of a lifetime at the winter olympics. The proud mothers were crying, screaming, and of course there was sound bites of “that’s my baby!!!!”. Jason looked at me to find his wife-me-miss got it together. I had tears in my eyes. He only thing I could say that could explain my emotion was “it is happening”. And it was. I was all of a sudden overcome with an emotion that was tied to the women on the commercial. I am a mother. And I shared their pride in their children. So thank you Tide. Thank you for connecting me to the emotional mothers of the world. And thank you for making my mother very proud that I can now relate to her emotional reaction to the production of greeting cards.