The pressure is on.
For those who need a reminder, Mother’s Day is this Sunday.
That means you have exactly four days to find the perfect gift for Mom.
I don’t know about you, but traditionally our family would put so much pressure on having the perfect Mother’s Day that it almost always ended up with us kids bickering and my dad trying desperately to have us all get along.
Figuring mom would want quality time with her family, my dad would arrange a family outing that would inevitably end up with elbows flying in the backseat of the car because my brother was taking up too much room. Or simply complaints about my little brother’s very existence. It would end in accusations of ‘you’re ruining Mother’s Day.’
I think back then the ultimate Mother’s Day gift would have been to give my mom some time to herself.
I’m happy to report, however, that as we got older the fighting ceased.
Our feeble attempts at breakfast in bed, complete with burnt toast and dry eggs, have turned in to us treating our mom to a meal cooked by actual chefs who know what they’re doing.
It’s a lot less stressful now and I think a lot more enjoyable for all of us as we have a better grasp on the significance of Mother’s Day.
As an adult, I can better understand and appreciate all that my mom did for me and how she formed me into the person I am today.
It may sound cliché but growing up, she really was the best mom you could ever ask for.
I can only hope to someday be half the mom she is and to keep my kids as happy as she made me, my brother and sister.
Whether it was reading ‘My Baby Brother Ned’ to me for the millionth time, rubbing my back until I’d fall asleep, arranging arts and crafts for my sister and I, taking time off work to take me to my singing festivals, or driving me to the emergency room in the middle of the night and keeping me company in my hospital bed.
She was patient, involved in our lives – without being overbearing, smart, and just an overall amazing role model.
She’s also incredibly strong and held our family together through some difficult times.
I have always had the utmost respect for my mom – I couldn’t imagine being a mom at 23 like she was.
I don’t think I would have been as selfless as my mom who, from the moment she brought me home from the hospital, has put her family ahead of herself.
I was so fortunate to grow up in a family that was never short on love and that enjoyed spending quality time together.
I give a lot of credit to my mom for creating such a strong family dynamic – a family that still gets together on a regular basis even though us kids are now all grown up.
My mom means the world to me.
On Mother’s Day we get to show our moms how much we care and appreciate all the sacrifices they’ve made for us and all that they’ve given us.
Who else has eyes in the back of their head and six pairs hands? Who else wipes our noses when we’re sick, or bandages up our scraped knees?
To my mom, and all of the mom’s out there, Happy Mother’s Day.
Mom – thank you for all that you do. I love you more than these words can say.