Hey! Got A Minute? Let’s talk about moms for a minute! In case you’re still a little confused about what day of the year it is…Mother’s Day is this Sunday. I know, how is it May already? This year Mother’s Day is looking a little different in our area, there are no brunches, no special ‘Mom’ dinners to go out to…so what do we do? Well, here’s the thing to remember: Just because you can’t go out, doesn’t mean you can’t go OUT. If you have the means, MANY local restaurants are offering specials this weekend for curbside pickup and/or delivery. Maybe Mom is sick of cooking for y’all for the last year or so and could use a break. Don’t have the means for take out, or maybe you’ve been spending all of your money ON take out for the last year or so…then how about YOU cook dinner for Mom for a change…you know, provided you aren’t the one doing the cooking normally. Mom doesn’t live with you? Maybe make her something at home and deliver it to her. The weather here is supposed to be nice(ish) on Sunday, so maybe take Mom for a drive. Or if Mom can’t come with you, you could even video chat a drive WITH her so that she gets to experience it WITH you (Mom’s worth the extra data, right?).
Kelly from Middays and I were talking earlier today about kids and Mother’s Day and the subject of kids gifts to Mom came up. I know my Mom always told me that she didn’t need ANYTHING for Mother’s Day but I never bought into that. I always made sure she was getting something from me, whether it was something I made at school, something I bought or breakfast in bed. Actually, one time I remember wrapping up a necklace that she already owned because…well I didn’t really have a clue on gift giving at the age of 5…Later on, my Dad would help me out by buying things for me to GIVE to Mom or consulting with me on things I thought Mom would like. Most of the time, that ended up in a lot of ‘Thank you I LOVE IT!’s and then the item was never to be seen again until the semi-annual yard sale (she hoped I would forget…I never did). I’ve kept the tradition up with my kids as well, trying to make sure they remember to create something for Mom but trying to help and guide a little bit so that she gets something at least semi-memorable once in a while!
Some moms that I’ve spoken to this year have lamented a little about the fact that they aren’t getting the macaroni necklaces or construction paper with unintelligible scribblings this year. School crafts have always been a big part of Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day) and this year, that’s not really happening. Doubly frustrating that, during lockdown, craft supplies have been deemed ‘non-essential’. SO…Dads, partners, care-takers, friends…we need to be creative this year! We could ALL use a little extra love this year and I think most Moms are suffering pretty hard right now. Just a little extra, a special breakfast, a treat from the bakery, a home-made card, could go a long way to making Mom feel special this year. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it doesn’t have to be inconvenient, it just needs to come from the heart.
I hope all of you Moms or mom-like-caretakers (because there are a lot of folks out there who aren’t ACTUAL ‘Moms’ but are filling that incredibly important role) have an incredible weekend! You’re all doing an amazing job in the face of a pretty overwhelming situation! Happy Mother’s Day to you all!
