Mother’s Day
Don’t panic, you haven’t missed Mother’s Day. You still have three days to decide what you are going to do before Sunday rolls around.
For the past month there have been constant commercials on TV about what your mom really wants for Mother’s Day — jewelry, flowers, a car and a card with a cliché quote on it. But instead of trying to buy your mom something this year, consider all of the things you could do with your mom, for your mom, or make her that she would love and appreciate even more than things with a price tag on them.
I know we are no longer kindergarteners (even though we still take afternoon naps like we are) who are ecstatic to bring home an indecipherable drawing or a macaroni craft project, but your mom would still love to have something you made, even if it doesn’t look all that great.
We could all learn a little something from our former selves who never hesitated to bring home projects declaring our love for our mothers and demanding it be attached to the fridge.
You can make a beautiful gift that your mom will love from objects lying around your room or things you would have thrown out anyway. Instead of opting for a store-bought card, break out the construction paper and glue. Write a nice note or a letter, not through email or typing it, but actually sit down and write it on nice paper. You can use cardboard that would be recycled and cover it in construction paper, wrapping paper or any other material you have around to spruce it up.
If you are better at making things on a computer, make a short video or slideshow with pictures of your family and some nice music that sets the scene or is a family classic. You can also make a collage of favorite family photos.
If you will be able to be with your mom on Mother’s Day, one of the easiest things to do is to just ask her what she wants to do. There is no guesswork and she’s guaranteed to love it. If you can’t make it home, you can send a picture of your favorite family trip or memory with your mom instead. You can also plant flowers for her, take a walk or do some other activity that your mom enjoys.
Be creative! Look around and think of all of the things you can make out of the objects around you that would make your mom smile. No matter what you do just remember that Mother’s Day isn’t about buying something to prove you love her. It’s about celebrating your mom and your relationship with her.
(This article was originally published in The Santa Clara.)
