Hands up if this column is the “oh sh… oot” warning you’ve been waiting for that Mother’s Day is right around the corner?
Don’t worry – it happens to the best of us. The fact I’m ready several days out this year is a minor miracle, and, admittedly, may have more to do with me wanting to prove my mother-in-law wrong than it does turning over a new leaf on the preparedness scale. But that’s OK. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Mother’s Day has always been a big deal for me. My mom and dad separated when I was young. Since then, my mom has been the one constant, the role model in my life. She juggled raising three kids alone with a hectic full-time job. She always found the time to cook our meals, do our laundry, clean the house, and take us to soccer practices.
She was always a super mom. And I was never afraid to tell her that.
While I’ll still take the time to say a few nice things again, and maybe treat her to a nice meal out, Mother’s Day has taken on an entirely new meaning this year. That’s what happens when you start having kids of your own.
Over the past 18 months, I’ve watched my wife struggle through daily bouts of morning sickness, scream pain-induced obscenities through a frankly torturous labour, and care for and look after our daughter with a smile on her face and love in her heart – despite only getting a couple hours sleep per night for weeks on end.
So, yeah, now I have a second super mom in my life.
I wanted to go all-out for the first Mother’s Day. Buying a cute gift and regurgitating a cringeworthy poem in a dollar store card wasn’t going to cut it.
I got to work planning. I’m not sure I’d go as far as to call it the perfect day, but I’m confident I’ve done enough legwork that the effort, if not the execution, will likely be well appreciated.
To start, the easiest thing on this list – let them sleep.
When you hear them stir, instead of surprising them with breakfast in bed, deliver a piece of paper with two or three dishes to choose from. Or better yet, have your little one – human or fur baby – do the deed instead. For this to work, you must be able to put bread in a toaster without burning it. If that’s beyond you, save her taste buds and treat her to breakfast out. Of course, you’ll have remembered to make a reservation.
Map out your day. Have an itinerary of things to do. Share this with your guest of honour. It’s a lot more fun if they’re excited.
This is where you get to personalize your offerings. Think of a few things your wife/mom enjoys and find a way to DIY it. Me? I’m turning my basement into a movie theatre, which will have anything my wife wants. There will be snacks. And I will be on-hand to serve them.
I almost forgot about gifts… this isn’t so much of a must-have. Let’s face it, our wallets have taken a collective, relentless battering for some time now. But don’t fear, homemade gifts from the heart are to moms what Superbowl – or in my case, World Cup final – tickets are to dads. Again, apply a shred of originality, have your little one write their name, or scribble on it, and tah-dah! Probably the best gift she’s ever gotten. Do it right and she might even cry.
Above all else though, take the time to let your mother, partner, or whoever, know just how much you love, appreciate, and value them for all they do. It’s the kind of thing we should do every day, but don’t.
Today, of all days, it’s important to go that extra mile. Love you, mom. Love you, Laurie.
