What all Mom's Want for Mother's Day
What all Mom’s Want for Mother’s Day
Is it just me or do you feel like there is always another holiday coming up too fast, and you think, “oh no it’s next week!?” What will you get? What are you going to do? Life is so busy; sometimes we don’t think about it until the last minute. Well, if you are reading this trying to get some ideas for Mother’s Day, I’m going to do my best to inspire you.
I think I have a pretty good handle on the subject, as a mom myself, but there are all kinds of moms in this world, and recommending one gift for them all, just isn’t reasonable. I’ll get to that problem here in a moment. First, I’ll tell you what I would love if I could have anything at all because, well honestly, I like to talk about myself.
When I first thought about what I would want if I could choose anything, I thought I would want a vacation, all by myself. That’s the honest truth. Not like a whole week or very far away, because I would probably miss my babies before 24 hours passed. Maybe something like a day trip to a beach, but there’s not a beach close enough. Then I thought, “okay well, I would love gift certificates to buy clothes, makeup, or for a spa day.” I could spend Mother’s Day with my family and do those things by myself, another day. Perfect. There is still one problem with this plan: gifts should be personalized because you want it to be something your Mom is really interested in of course! Some women really don’t care about shopping or spa days. That’s not me, Lord knows, but I know several who wouldn’t be that excited about it at all.
To get down to the one universal thing all Moms would love, we have to get down to the core of what it really means to be a Mom. It means sacrifice and unconditional love for your children. The mothers out there that give it their all day in and day out, or gave it their all, if the kids are now grown; all have one thing in common- whether we like makeup, crafts, fishing, or just Mexican food. We all need appreciation and a little praise sometimes; really, we need it.
Speaking on behalf of Moms everywhere, I can tell you this with some confidence- we know everything we do to try to be good to you. We know every mistake we ever made, we know exactly how much time we spent feeding, cleaning up after, bathing, and putting you to bed. We never forget the feeling of crying and worrying over our children’s problems, behavior, health, or broken hearts. We know how many times we struggled to remember appointments, medicines, school activities, or if we ever forgot picture day- God forbid because it hurts like a knife in the gut. We know every good friend and every bad friend you ever had. We know what you like to eat and what you hate. We know how many times we refused to let you eat pop tarts all day and made you eat protein and vegetables instead.
We know how many times we felt like we weren’t quite up to par, not quite deserving of such beautiful little souls in our care. We know how many times we were pushed past our limits and went completely nuts when the last straw broke. How many times we had to keep a straight face when you did something that was a “no-no”, but very hilarious. We know how many times we had to ignore you to get things done. How many times you cried when we had to leave you. We know how many times you “hated” us because you couldn’t have your way. It all gets added up and measured by us in our hearts, every bit of it, where we try to determine if we are doing a “good job” & if we are a “good Mom”.
That’s where it becomes obvious what every Mom would love for Mother’s Day. It’s not just about presents, even though they are wonderful gestures, and trying to figure out the right gift for our unique personalities, it’s deeper than that. What we all want, despite how different we all may be, is knowing we are loved and appreciated. We want to hear, “You are doing a good job and you are a good Mom.”
No matter what gift or special gesture you choose, it helps if it’s something you notice about her. It can be letting her sleep in and serving her breakfast in bed, it can be flowers, jewelry, or gift certificates for manicures or pedicures, but regardless of what you choose, she will be over the moon if it’s done with a statement of appreciation and affirmation.
Happy Mother’s Day.