Flowers? Candy? A nice meal at an overcrowded restaurant? These are all wonderful and so thoughtful, however some of us ask for slightly different things depending on what level of motherhood we are on. Not to sound like Rose from the Golden Girls (back in St. Olaf), but back in St. Louis, to avoid the restaurant crowds, I would take my mom to a restaurant to celebrate Mother’s Day on a different day. Sometimes, even the weekend before. I dread going the day of because, historically, even though you make a reservation, you still have to wait; sometimes there’s inconvenient seating; waiters are overwhelmed and orders have gotten messed up; somebody’s food is either cold or not well done; and heaven forbid your mother say “we should’ve eaten somewhere else”, “we should’ve never come here” or “I could’ve eaten better food at home”. This would dampen your whole intent of doing something special and ruin the day. When thinking about how to celebrate or acknowledge that special mother, here are a couple of things to consider:
Some of the moms that are older or in grand motherhood, whom I call my “Platinum moms”, expect a new purse filled with money, gift cards, all-expense paid meal plus dessert at a restaurant, or even vacation trips, while others would simply appreciate a phone call, card, or quality time with their children that they don’t get too often. Some mid-level moms, whom I call my “Diamond moms” cause they can’t wait until their kids are independent/out of the house so they can shine and live their best adult lives, have kids that are teens and college level and may expect more out of their kids to be thoughtful and not forget what all their mom or mom figure has done for them. They would expect a card of some kind, respect, quality time, AND a gift (outfit, gift card, new house slippers, fragrance, or their favorite thing).
And then there are my “Rugrats moms”, thaaaat’s me! These moms have children that may be infant through elementary school age who expect to get the more handmade gifts from the kids like flower plants, handprint cards/paintings/drawings, I love you messages, and even meals prepped by the kids. And from dad, ahem, one may ask for a simple, yet rare request. This is the most valuable thing you can give this mom group. That item is....SLEEP/Alone time!!! Our names are called at least 15 times per hour. We are needed for the biggest of jobs such as bloody noses and injuries, to the dirtiest of jobs like messy boo boos (poops) and vomiting, to the smallest of jobs like a midnight hug or making snacks/baby bottles. We wake up in the middle of the night to provide therapy for nightmares, and may even stay up all night providing asthma treatments or rocking a fussy baby. Yes, we are Superwomen who wear the S on our chest proudly, howwww...ever, we aren’t any good to anybody if we are not good to our own bodies that need rest to recharge every now and then. And this is even more valuable this year since we have all been together in the same place, nearly 24 hours a day, for 50+ days. Now of course, if you wanted to send that lovely mom off on a future Girls trip vacation or night on the town, by all means go for it! We won’t decline lol. But sleep and a little break is highly recommended.
Just wanted to highlight a few things when you’re looking for ways to acknowledge that special lady in your life or to help share what moms may really be thinking and expecting.
Although this Mother’s Day may be unconventional and not the norm, I hope you have a wonderful, memory-filled day!
