Happy Mother’s Day!
Take some time and tell mom how much you love and appreciate her today. Send her some flowers, gifts or just spend time with her and remember, it doesn’t have to be just on Mother’s Day. Reminisce about some things you did together growing up, or relax and watch a favorite movie together.
Memorable Moments – Mary
I appreciate my mother’s efforts in giving us memorable moments when we couldn’t afford to do things like go out to Chuck E. Cheese or a zoo, or to any other place to entertain a child. Growing up, I remember feeling upset about the unfairness of it all when a friend would say they were going someplace special but I could not. I would pout, and be upset for a little bit but not for long because my mother would play with my brothers and me and make us forget all about not being able to go. Mom would bake something special if she had the ingredients (which she always did), or she would take us out to the park.
Mom was so patient and thoughtful, she knew when to take us to someplace new and exciting. One of our favorite places to go in Bremerton, WA was the beach, especially during low tide. We loved to see what treasures we could find to bring back home with us. Little things like an especially beautiful piece of sea glass, a colorful shell, a dried-up sand dollar, or some other mysterious treasure was always so exciting to find. Now, my daughter loves finding things at the beach whenever we can go no matter how old she is. I wonder if this is something that she might share with her child someday? I hope so.
One time we stayed at my aunt’s house in Kentucky when we first came to the U.S. while my father went to Bremerton, WA, and tried to find us all a place to live. My mother, brothers, and I were stuck in a new and uncomfortable place (unfamiliar) with not much to do. Mom made silly games for us, and at night she would let us catch a bunch of fireflies and let them go in the house. To my child’s eyes, these fireflies were magical! We had never seen these bugs before, so we really had a lot of fun.
Memorable Moments – David
Some of the fondest memories David has are when he got sick. This was because he got to stay home from school and his mom would watch old movies with him while she rubbed his hair. This gave him a strong love for old movies. I mean a STRONG LOVE for old movies. Sometimes the kids and I will just go do our own thing because he could go on old movie benders especially if he is in a John Wayne movie mood. Sometimes what can drive us nuts is that he will quote just about the whole movie!
To this day he still does the same thing. When he gets sick, he gets his ‘sick blanket’ and lays down watching old movies. The only difference is that I am rubbing his hair and watching movies with him. This habit has been passed on to our kids which my husband highly encourages for our bonding time. Sometimes both of the kids want me to just rub their hair as they fall asleep which is a great feeling because I know that they find comfort with me.
Little Things Mean The Most
There was a birthday or two where we didn’t have much but mom again made the most of it by making a cake from scratch and gave whoever had the birthday a small gift. As a mother now, and having experienced tough times, I appreciate those little things she did so much more. It was some of those things that she did while I was growing up that I realized I have been doing myself. Like buying an extra cake or cookie mix when I can, or just a little something special for my kids. We have been doing well for a while now, it is now just a habit that I have gotten into. Just like saving grocery bags, or condiments from restaurants for that time, we might need it.
What are some little things that your mother did for you that you might have taken for granted growing up? Here are some of the little things my mother did:
- Check on me when I was sleeping and make sure I was tucked in. I do this to my kids now and I remember feeling the comfort of my mother’s presence when she did this.
- Drive-by kisses. I remember my mom doing this and not thinking much of it. Now I do it to my kids and feel such love at certain times that i just have to give them a kiss on the head randomly.
- Sitting next to me just to be near me. I never really thought about why she would do it or how I felt. Now as a parent I can see how she must have felt just wanting to be near me and I appreciate her for it.
- Anticipating my needs. I took this for granted growing up. Now I see that it is one of the many ways she showed she cared because she was so thoughtful and was always looking out for our comfort.
- Just talking to me. I admit there were times growing up I would be wondering why she was talking to me (my kids do it now!) but it was a comfort just talking to her. It was really amazing later on having conversations and seeing things we experienced from her perspective. It was very eye-opening especially now as a parent.
These are just 5 things that I appreciate my mother doing for me. There are so much more! Mom was my confidant and my shoulder to cry on when I needed one. When I was having a nightmare and was too scared to sleep, mom would curl up in bed with me and offer comfort. When I wasn’t feeling well, mom would have some remedy to help me, along with a bowl/plate of my favorite treat to make me feel better.
THAT Call to Mom
Now that I am a parent myself, I look back and cringe at how I acted back then. I especially remember when I was about 14 and told my mom something along the lines of “You can’t tell me what to do!” I remember her response and I am glad for it because I needed it. Yup, I got smacked. It was around that time that I started to understand that parents are under a lot of pressure when their kids are a pain in the ass and that they try their best, but they are only human.
I wasn’t a cruel person by any means but it never really occurred to me to consider my parent’s feelings. Funny, I am writing this and thinking about my kids and trying to see things from their perspective. It was really at this time that I understood that she had adult issues and that I needed to help her help us instead of being a problem.
Not long after my son was born, I had called my mom and told her THANK YOU. I now understood that being a parent is a huge gift, but also a big responsibility to love, care and raise my children to hopefully be amazing human beings.
Conclusion
To all the moms out there, I want to say this. I appreciate you for everything that you do, the sleepless nights that you care for your sick child, the unlimited hugs and kisses that you share. I appreciate you for always being there to kiss a boo-boo and help your child keep trying. Moms, I appreciate you for turning any house you live in, into a home where your family feels loved, cared for and safe.
To anyone reading this post, I hope I was able to help you remember some great memories that you shared with your mom growing up. I encourage you to call her, visit her, send her a gift, or anything but just let her know that you appreciate her and love her very much. Make her Mother’s Day special.
