When it comes to Mother’s Day, we do feel a need to give to that special lady in our life. Yet if you really think about your mother and the many things she gave you, how many actual “things” come to mind?
If somebody asked you about your mother, would your response be, “she gave me this great leather coat for my 16th birthday”?
Or would it be more along the lines of how she took care of you when you were sick?
Maybe it would be all those times when you forgot to bring your (fill in the blank) and she dropped everything to make sure you had it.
Perhaps its that time she let you take a mental health day from school to stay home and binge watch movies with her?
In fact, I dare to say that if you put together a top 10 list of the many things your mother gave you, very few would be actual things.
In that spirit, you should consider returning the favor for Mother’s Day.
The latest kitchen appliance, new coat or garment or anything that’s an actual thing might seem like a good idea. Even the Mother’s Day fall back, flowers, is a thing and leaves behind something that adds to stuff in the house—even if it is just a vase that’s eventually left. Yet the things that last in our hearts and mind are very rarely things.
That’s not to say you shouldn’t give flowers to your mother for Mother’s Day. Those will brighten up her and day and can be disposed of without doing any harm. Yet if you want to make your mother’s top 10 list for Mother’s Day, you might want to make a memory.
Memories don’t necessarily have to cost a lot—e.g. going for a walk in the park, watching a movie together, making a home-cooked meal, etc. They do require a little thought and another important element: your time.
That’s actually a fair exchange when you think about those many things she gave you. Since what she really gave was her time and, of course, her heart.
This Mother’s Day, return the favor. Give her a memory. It has the double bonus of being something she can carry around in her head and heart without requiring storage anywhere else.
Happy Mother’s Day!