With Mother’s Day rapidly approaching, you might have given some thought to sending your mother flowers or a card. Possibly you’ve considered taking her out to dinner, or having her over to your place, if you can clean the house quick enough, lock the dog in the back yard, the cat in the bedroom and bribe the kids to behave.
Or are you the mother wondering what your children will do for you this year? Another bland meal at a cheap buffet, a card they bought while rushing through the aisle of the grocery store, or possibly a plant they want to add to your already jungle looking home?
Why not make this Mother’s Day one that stands out, something fun, something unique?
Let me offer some suggestions that might not have been on your normal, routine, and sometimes boring Mother’s Day event calendar:
- What about a leisurely afternoon with lunch and an afternoon matinee.
- Does she love flowers? Don’t just send a bouquet of what you think she might like, rather take her for an afternoon tea and a stroll through the botanical gardens. Time with you is worth far more than a vase of tulips and lilies that will wilt in a week or two. Give her a memory that means something.
- Is your mother elderly but still living on her own? Perhaps she needs a handyman, someone like your significant other, to do some minor repairs around the house, mow and trim the lawn, while you sit on the porch with her sipping ice cold lemonade reminiscing about her younger years. Listen to her stories, they’re important!
Whatever you decide to do for your mother this year, or talk your children in to doing for you, make it valuable. Time is a precious commodity and life is far too short. Get a mother daughter portrait taken, buy matching charm bracelets, or spend the day volunteering together at a worthy charity. Take her to church; give her your undivided attention. Don’t rush in, chatter about your job, your kids, your week, instead stop and listen to her. Encourage her to tell you what she’s doing, and her friends at the senior center or her neighbor down the block that she walks with.
One year I gave my mother a puppy, and that puppy grew to be her best friend. Mitzi added value to my mother’s life. What value can you add? Trust me; it’s not in a card or a vase of temporary flowers. The value is in you.