Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Cue the flower displays, Hallmark cards, and guilt traps retailers like to put out there as bait for all of us consumers who just want to show our moms that we love and care for her.
As a mom myself, I know the feeling of wanting to be recognized and adored on Mother’s Day by my child and loved ones, but then again, the commercialization of holidays like Mother’s Day usually tend to leave a bad taste in my mouth.
I’ve come to the conclusion that with most holidays that are geared toward the celebration of special people in your life, you can choose to interpret them however you wish. For Mother’s Day this year, instead of scrambling around and going from store to store trying to find the perfect piece of jewelry, handbag, or restaurant to dine at, consider giving your mom these priceless ordinary gifts that you may overlook each day.
Time
How often do you acknowledge your mom and make an effort to spend time with her? I’m not talking about a once-a-month phone call either. I know it’s hard to do when you have a family of your own to attend to or don’t even live in the area, but as the popular saying goes, time is something you can’t get back.
You can always earn more money and purchase new material items, but you can’t get back the time you spent yesterday. As you get older, the time you have becomes even more valuable, it’s important to make time for those who are most important in your life.
As a mom of a kindergartner, I get bombarded with hugs as soon as I enter the door after work and I carve out time to talk to my son about his day and just life in general. When I go visit my parents, I’m guilty of taking the time we have for granted and staying glued to my phone half the time, or even bringing my laptop over to check emails or do some mundane tasks. When I do just sit and talk to my mom or watch a movie with her, it’s food for the soul and almost no one else knows me best.
No matter what you have planned this Mother’s Day, if your mom is available, make a cup of coffee or some tea for each of you and sit outside for a bit and enjoy and cherish each other’s time.
Service
Another priceless contribution you can give your mom is the gift of service. If you’ve noticed any household projects she’s been talking about lately that haven’t been completed yet, it may be the perfect time to take care of some of those tasks yourself. Trust me, the feeling of knowing that someone listened to your needs and took it upon themselves to take something off your plate is priceless.
See if you can deep clean your parents’ house, replace those old light fixtures, cook a fresh meal, or even do laundry so your mom can rest and relax in a clean and organized home. Life can often revolve around making errands, meeting deadlines, and honoring time commitments, that it’s nice to give someone you care about the gift of relaxation and organization by offering up some service.
Reflection
When I first became a mom, I started a scrapbook to record precious moments of my son’s first and second years. Even though he’s only 6 now, when either of us pull out of the scrapbook we always find joy in reminiscing and reflecting on how much he’s learned and grown over these past few years. I can’t help but feel a sense of pride and peace when we reflect together because like most other moms, I want my child to succeed in life, be happy, and make me proud. That’s the best gift he can give me.
You don’t have to bust out the old photo albums next weekend or even make a sentimental Facebook post, but take a little time to reflect on lessons you’ve learned from your mom and experiences you’ve shared together. Consider how far your relationship has come whether things were once rocky between the two of you or if you’ve always had a close relationship.
This may or may not translate into a Mother’s Day gift and that’s okay. You can always create a keepsake like a poem of reflection, tell a story by organizing a collage of past memories and obstacles that you’ve overcome, or set up set up a mini art studio at your home and paint together to express yourselves that way.
Associate Mother’s Day with Value, Not Money
Too many times, we associate holidays with money because money is a huge part of our lives. When you look deeper though, moms just want simplicity and recognition. Instead of asking yourself what gift you should get for Mother’s Day this year, ask yourself what kind of value can you give in terms of time, service, and reflection, and don’t stress yourself out trying to prove something that your mom already knows.
What are your plans for Mother’s Day this year? What do you think about how the commercialized message of the holiday promotes the idea that you have to buy your mom x,y, and z in order to show your love and appreciation?
Chonce!
Great ideas. I’m the same way about gifts. I feel time and doing those little things is what mom’s like the most. And now that I’m a mom, oh how much would I love to just spend the entire day with my family and not worry about work?
Thanks for these tips and I’ll be sure to pass them along.
Same here. I’d love to just have a free day on Mother’s Day and be waited on hand and foot, haha.
Hello Chonce. Oh my gosh, Mother’s Day is right around the corner. Thanks for the reminder!
I was never close to my mother but as a mother myself (my youngest is 7), I can say with confidence that the best things in life are FREE. I LOVE those hugs!
An aspect of being female is that we need attention, all-the-time. Let’s face it, we gave birth to these little people, helped them their whole life and wouldn’t it be totally awesome if they would give us attention instead of the stuff. Hey a clean house wouldn’t hurt my feelings either 😉
What Elna said resonated with me and I believe it is the plight of the single mom. Stop working.. Stop checking emails… Stop…just stop and sit quietly on Mother’s Day. Take a breathe and slow down, just for a day and really be in the moment with these little people. It is SO hard when the finances are at stake. That’s serious business for sure. This moment will never happen in your life again. Remembering that for Mother’s Day too is crucial for giving love to the people who accept us for who we are and love us unconditionally. That… is FREE mamas!
Sending everyone a Happy Mother’s Day virtual high-five!
Very well said! Having your loved ones be present (physically and mentally) with you on a special day is a must in the heavily digital world we live in today.
I love your comment/title in there “Associate Mother’s Day with Value, Not Money”… That’s exactly what I’ve been wanting to tell my hubby in terms of what I want from him and the kids on Mothers Day… and it’s what I want to do for mum too. I think this year, a game of scrabble (which she loves… and will win!) is in the cards. Thank you so much for this post.
That sounds fun Hannah! We like to play a lot of games too. My son is still pretty young so I’m sure he’ll make me something heartfelt at school and my fiance can just take care of all of my chores for the day.