Mother’s Day seems to be a holiday overrun by flowers and greeting cards. 85% of adults celebrate it, and this year Hallmark estimates people will send 13 million Mother’s Day cards. Americans are expected to spend $23.1 billion on their moms for their special day. 

 

Although the cards, flowers and gifts are nice, what I want most for Mother’s Day, and what I expect most moms want, is just for their family to recognize and appreciate them for all they’ve done. It’s such a thankless job most of the time.

 

Like most people, I was self-centered and took my mom for granted when I was young. I just assumed she was there to take care of us no matter what her day was like and that’s what she did. I didn’t see her in any other light. Only after I grew up and eventually had children of my own did I even have an inkling of everything she had done, and still does, for our family.

 

I’m blessed in that I have a close relationship with both my parents; they’re not only family, they’re friends. When each of my parents turned 60, I made them scrapbooks titled 60 Reasons We Love You. The problem wasn’t coming up with 60 reasons to fill the books with, the problem was trimming the list down to 60.

 

My mom taught us the importance of family. I was lucky that both sets of my grandparents lived in the same town as us, and she made sure we spent a lot of time with them as well as the other relatives that lived in the area. My grandma never learned to drive, so after my grandpa passed away my mom drove her around whenever she was able, from family events to doctor appointments. She continued to visit her every week, even after she had to move into a care center in another town when her health and memory began failing.

 

My mom taught us about self-sacrifice. She had dreamt of going to college, but after my sister and I were born she decided to become a stay-at-home mom during our early years. My dad owned his own business so he left home early in the morning and often got home late at night, so she was left with most of the child rearing. If she resented any of it she never let it show.

 

My mom persevered. She had a lot of health issues when I was growing up, but she never let them stop her from taking care of her family. She was always there for us, even when she had to have been feeling her worst. 

 

My mom instilled in us the love of reading. She read to us from the time we were little, and we could always count on her to purchase us books, whether it was from the bookstore or the Scholastic book order from school. She read to my own kids when they were little and still gives them books for gifts.

 

My mom makes Christmas magical. Every December she takes down most of her decor and turns their home into a Christmas wonderland. My kids can still hardly wait to get to their house on Christmas Eve. When I was young we would spend a day at my grandma’s making, and eating, endless numbers and varieties of Christmas cookies.

 

My mom taught us the importance of faith. I attended Sunday School from the time I was three years old until I graduated high school, and most Sundays we also went to church. She was even the Sunday School superintendent for a while, and organized traditional Christmas programs for us to sing and act out for our families. 

 

My mom gave us unconditional love. If you’ve ever seen a toddler or a teenager throw a fit, you know moms have unconditional love for their children. My sister and I fought all the time when we were kids and I was a really moody teen. No matter what we did she kept on loving us.

 

The best gift you can give your mom is a gift from the heart, one that says you care and that you truly do understand everything she’s done for you. The connection you share with your mom is priceless; you will never have another relationship like it. Even after you grow up, moms are a constant source of love and comfort.

 

I love you, Mom. To you and all the other moms out there, I wish you a very happy Mother’s Day.