Growing up, we always did Mother’s Day the same each year.
Dad would wake up early, put on the coffee, start the bacon and eggs and then sneak upstairs to wake up my sister and I while mom slept in.It felt like we were on a secret mission and I was always so excited, because I knew my job — fresh squeezed OJ — and I did not take that job lightly.
I knew how much mom loved “extra pulp” so, with about a dozen oranges in front of me, I’d start to juice them one by one with the same glass juicer my parents had for decades that only came out once a year.Mom was always so excited to hear our giggles and little feet scurrying up the stairs. I remember being so proud to watch her take that first bite of bacon and sip her chilled glass of OJ.
Breakfast in bed is a Mother’s Day tradition, and for good reason. After all, how many mornings has mom made breakfast for you and your little one(s)? But then again, each family is different and will find their own Mother’s Day traditions. Need some ideas? Here are a few:
Give her a free day.
Before I became a dad almost four years ago, I remember hearing about a friend’s “dream Mother’s Day.” All she asked of her husband and kids was to give her 24 hours free. Free of cooking, laundry, work — and free of them. I didn’t get it; what was the point of celebrating Mother’s Day without the people who made you a mother in the first place? Fast-forward to 2022 and, well, my tune has changed.
Go to the movies.
For those nostalgic mamas out there, a good way to share family memories is to look at old photographs or home movies. If you live near Grandma or Grandpa, ask them to pull out old photos and movies and take a trip together down memory lane. Your kids will get a kick out of the styles of clothes their mama wore — not to mention the fact that she was once a kid, too.
Plant some flowers.
If you have some extra space in your garden, create a real, live Mother’s Day canvas. First, buy various packets of flower seeds that grow fast and well. Then, have your kids draw a picture or write a short message (like “We love Mom”) in the garden dirt with a stick. Drop the flower seeds into the dirt lines; then cover them up, and water every few days. Before long, your picture (or message) will be blooming, and you’ll have a Mother’s Day gift that keeps on growing!
Make it about her.
This should be rule #1. If she has to pack up the diaper bag and head to brunch with a gift for your mom, your mom’s mom and her mom, then the holiday isn’t really about her. Whatever you do, make sure the day is about her. If you do that, she will love it — whether it’s crispy bacon and fresh-squeezed OJ in bed or just an hour alone so she can call a friend or soak in the tub.
