Give Mom Something Special for Mother's Day...a little bit of yourself...
The whole world is in a rush these days...people rush through life with their cell phone Bluetooth earpieces glued in their ears, a BlackBerry in one other hand, and a laptop in a case hanging over one shoulder that will get used at the nearest Wi-Fi spot. All of these folks have moms who worry about them---worry that their kids are too stressed, have too many responsibilities, and don't take enough time for themselves.
And those moms are probably right.
So, this year for Mother's Day, slow down and take a little bit of time for yourself---and then spend it with Mom. Spend an afternoon with Mom. Take her to a fancy up-town tearoom for a mid-day tea and a couple of hours of real conversation. Or plan something fun! Take Mom to that miniature golf place that you always pass on your way to her house---grab a couple of neon-colored golf balls and have some giggles putting around the course, giving each other Mulligans on every hole, and yelling like 8-year-olds when one of you actually gets a hole-in-one!
Maybe Mom goes for something that's a little more cultured. Get tickets to the art museum and surprise her with an afternoon of musing over the masterpieces. Or maybe there's a special exhibit in the next town over that she's mentioned that she'd "give anything to see."
It really doesn't matter what it is that you decide to do with Mom...it's the fact that you are going to do it with her. If tearooms and mini-golf just aren't your thing (even if they are to Mom), then pick a nice restaurant that you like and take Mom for a late lunch/early dinner. Get to the restaurant at about 2:00 in the afternoon in the middle of the week. The place will probably be just about deserted. It will be quiet, and you won't have to tackle a server to get some attention. Let Mom know that you don't have a time limit...just sit and talk. Order an appetizer, take your time, chat, order another appetizer, and then go straight for that sinful piece of chocolate cake drizzled with hot fudge!
So, that's fine, you say---take Mom somewhere and talk to her...but talk about what? The same old stuff? The kids? The job? Heavens no! You can spark the conversation by digging out some picture of yours from that wacky 60's party you had---you know, that crazy picture where everyone looked a little goofy. Ask Mom if she remembers that party...I'll bet she does. Drag out your prom picture, when you just had to have “the dress”! Or fish out a memento you kept from your childhood---maybe it's a pair of really dirty pink ballerina slippers (the ones you wore to bed for a year), or that cracked leather catcher's mitt (that you insisted on bringing to the dinner table). Show that to Mom. It'll probably bring tears to her eyes.
And I guarantee you that you won't have to worry about a topic of conversation for the rest of the afternoon.
The whole idea here is that giving Mom a gift for Mother's Day doesn't have to be a pricey boutique basket of scented bath gels and body lotions---about which she'll say "Oh, I just love this stuff..." You can get the mushy card from the card store---the one that 30 other Moms in the same town are going to get. Sure, it could bring a tear to her eye, but it's the same card that Lydia across the street is getting from her son.
Give Mom something totally unique that no other Mom in the entire world will get. Give your Mom a little bit of you for Mother's Day.
For more ideas for Mother's Day cards, crafts, and other gift ideas, go to: Jan's Reading Room Mother's Day Index.
Jan K., The Proofer is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. Visit Jan’s Portal (http://www.jansportal.com) for more information about Jan's free crafts, recipes, tutorials, other resource sites, and free content articles, as well as Jan’s business services. Be sure to visit Mom's Break (http://www.momsbreak.com/) for free printable crafts and projects. © Copyright 2005 to present. All rights reserved.