r/Advice•
SelkieLesbian

I wan to make my Mom a special Mother's day brunch, but I'm feeling discouraged by comments my brother made.

Advice Received

QUESTION: Should I try to actually make this brunch happen, or should I just give up on the idea completely?
TL;DR: I told my brother about the belated Mother's Day brunch idea I had (my Mom works almost every Sunday, so Mother's Day plans cannot be on the day itself), and because of the comments he made implying I'm being selfish and unhealthy for wanting to get 6 muffins from Perkins, I feel like I should just give up on this whole idea, and I now feel bad for even wanting to try. Another result of the conversation is that I feel really gross about my body now.
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Some important context before I start: My Mom and I are both plus sized, and my Mom has Type II Diabetes. She manages it well with medication, and as far as I know, her diet isn't a huge concern in regards to managing her Diabetes.

I (25NB) haven't done much planning for Mother's Day, which admittedly sounds bad considering it is Mother's Day, but let me explain. My Mom works basically every Sunday, so whatever plans I come up with would have to take place on one of her days off.

That being said, I started planning today, and I got the idea to make our family (me, my brother (28M), and my Mom) a nice Mother's Day brunch. The meal I've planned currently consists of:

-Watermelon Fruit Basket
-Eggs Benedict
-Hashbrowns
-Bacon
-Orange Juice
-Raspberry Sour Cream Muffins From Perkins (they're her favorite)

I know it might be a bit much, but I really want to make this special, especially because she's been having a really hard time recently.
I went to talk to my brother because I thought he might want to help out/have a hand in this gift so we can say it's from the both of us. I thought that it was a nice gesture because he really likes to cook.
I laid out my plan for him, and while he didn't seem enthusiastic about it, it might've been because he was still a bit drowsy.
He then said how my plan was "kind of a lot" and that because I wanted to get 6 muffins, that I secretly just wanted muffins. He also asked why I couldn't just get a couple muffins, and when I tried to explain how the muffins would not only be for the brunch, but also so Mom can eat them at her leisure, he said that "sugary treats should only be for once in a while, not all the time". He also discouraged me from making the Eggs Benedict because I've never made Hollandaise sauce. I told him I most likely would practice before making the meal, but I don't think he believes me. Not to mention that I also said I was thinking about just getting some store-bought instead.

I now feel really discouraged and like I shouldn't even try anymore. I know that my verbal communication skills are pretty bad, but I feel like no matter how I try to explain, I can't get the right words out. I feel like my brother constantly shames me and criticizes most of my ideas, but he hides it under a thin veil of deniability, so if I call him on it, he'll just say that I'm reading too much into it. I've been feeling like he's been body shaming both my Mom and I for years under the guise of "being concerned for my health".

Posted May 11, 2025, 4:50 PM UTC

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