“My promise to my children
For as long as I live I will always be your parent first and your friend second. I will stalk you, flip out on you, lecture you, drive you insane, be your worst nightmare and hunt you down like a bloodhound when I have to because I love you. When you understand that, I will know you have become a responsible adult. You will never find anyone else in your life who loves, prays, cares, and worries about you more than I do. If you don’t mutter under your breath “I hate you” at least once, in your life, I am not doing my job properly.”
~ Unknown
This quote is the ultimate declaration of love. A mother’s love knows no bounds and will stop at nothing to keep her children safe. No one is as devoted as a mother.
In honor of Mother’s Day (yesterday), my last few posts have revolved around moms. I have shared a list of unique Mother’s Day gifts as well as how moms who stay at home can organize their lives. But this week, I wanted to share some sweet stories about what people love about their moms and Mother’s Day fun.
In order to do this, I reached out to some of the best moms I know (and a few offspring too) and asked them questions about their favorite or most memorable Mother’s Day fun celebration as well as what they love about their own mom. The responses I received were sweet, funny, and emotional – just what you’d expect from a conversation about moms. I’ve kept the answers anonymous to respect the privacy of my respondents.
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Mother’s Day Fun Stories
The first question I asked is:
What was your most memorable Mother’s Day fun experience and feel free to explain why it was so special?
Here are the responses I received:
My most memorable Mother’s Day was the first after each of my sons were born. To be perfectly candid, Mother’s Day every year has been special. I’m happy 365 days a year because I have my sons. Wishing all the wonderful moms out there a spectacular day!
I’m so full of total love for my family. My favorite Mother’s Day was when my first grandson was about 6 months old. I wanted to encourage his crawling. So on Mother’s Day, I crawled around our living room on my hands and knees (around chairs and under a desk) with him following me and laughing.
Every Mother’s Day growing up was so special. I was lucky to have both of my grandmothers living in the same town as us and we always made a big celebration on Mother’s Day. Whether we hosted a BBQ, made them special homemade cards, gave them flower bouquets, or made my mom breakfast in bed, it was always a day filled with so many incredible memories. My dad instilled in us that this was their day and our job was to make it extra special!!
What I Love about Mom Stories
The next question I asked is:
What do/did you love best about your mom and why does she deserve a Mother’s Day celebration?
These are the answers I got:
What I love best about my mom is her unending love. There’s no bottom. To bedrock. No qualifiers or limits. She can get mad and exasperated. Tired or stressed. A million little things can happen and when it comes to her love, it doesn’t matter. I can mess up, yell, say something I regret or even fail to notice a new haircut and the fact that she loves me with all her heart will never change. My mom deserves Mother’s Day because she gives all her love the rest of the year, so a day to give it back and celebrate her is the least we can do.
My mom was a great beauty, with an unerring sense of style and glamour. Her loveliness never faded, no matter how old she grew. She lived by the rule that you bought quality rather than quantity, and her taste was chic and timeless. I treasure an enamel Copco saute pan from the 1970s that once was hers.
I learned so much from our shopping excursions to the legendary Loehmann’s in the Bronx, which began when I was about 11 years old. She’d head straight to a section called the “Back Room,” where clothing from the most exclusive designers were kept. Her eye was unerring as she slipped garments on and off, selecting only what was well-priced, well made, and could easily be altered to her petite frame. We’d return to our apartment, spread the purchases on her bed, and look at everything again, congratulating her on the bargains.
But my most endearing memory is something entirely different. Long after I had moved into my own home and was visiting her Park Avenue apartment, she called me over to her sink to show me her dish scrubber, which had a sponge connected to a handle that you filled with dish soap. She advised me to fill the handle up only halfway with soap, and top it off with water so that the dish soap lasts longer. I’m certain that saving pennies on dish soap helped her to justify those frequent shopping trips to Loehmann’s.
What I loved best about my Mom was how she nurtured me when I had a cold or chickenpox, measles, having my tonsils out! She doted on me, bringing me food in bed and coloring books. She’s gone now but I think of her every Mother’s Day.
What I love most about my mom is her abundant, unconditional love. Even as an adult, my mom has always been there to provide comfort and take care of me whenever I need it. She cares, always shows up, and knows just what to say and do. She’s my forever-sounding board. My mom deserves to have a day all about her, where the thought and love are showered right back on her!
My mom is the strongest most sensible person I know. Everyone comes to her for advice (all of her friends and family) because she is so smart, takes her time making decisions, and always weighs the pros and cons. She is strong & athletic too, she always pushed us to reach our goals, on and off the field, and instilled in us strong values.
My brother and I still talk about it to this day, what a great role model she was for us growing up, and these days, how much her grandchildren deeply admire her. They go to her for advice and always call her before big competitions so she can inspire them to do their best. She has so much energy for her age and always puts them first.
Her family is her priority. She never misses an important day in their lives – just like my grandmothers – whether it’s a birthday, Mother’s Day or just picking them up from school with a little surprise gift, she’s amazing in so many ways and we truly appreciate everything she does, year-round for all of us! We have continued the tradition of always making Mother’s Day the most special day of the year.
We love how kind and loving our mom is, and how she always has such a positive attitude. She deserves a Mother’s Day celebration because she does so much for us all year round, so it’s important to show her how much we love her on Mother’s Day!
*shared by the daughters (aged 12 + 15) of the woman who shared the story above as a sweet surprise.
I love my mom for always being there for me. Through her physical presence or emotional support, she is always there to help however needed. There’s no problem too big or issue too small. If someone needs help, she is there to listen and figure out a solution. On this Mother’s Day, I want to be there for her, in every way that I can. It’s my time to support you!
Summary
These stories show that a memorable Mother’s Day has nothing to do with gifts (although always appreciated) but everything to do with the experience. Moms will remember any Mother’s Day fondly when she gets to spend it with her children or even grandchildren.
Mother’s Day fun is different for every mom and every family. The traditions created often span generations and always leave mom feeling special and loved.
So, what’s your idea of Mother’s Day fun?
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Comments 13
Well that was just a delight to read! So many wonderful memories and tributes to fabulous mothers. I think mothers really are heroes of selflessness. Most moms sacrifice an untold number of times for their children. I am so thankful that my mother faithfully prays for and supports my family. She has been a stalwart of encouragement and support. She mindfully notes whatever is going on in everyone’s schedule, prays over it all, and follows up. That is so comforting to me. 🙂
What a lovely post! Thank you for sharing. My Mother’s Day fun would be to take a walk on the trail near our home with the kiddos to enjoy nature and each other. And, get some exercise into our day.
Sabrina,
That sounds great! Is that what you did on Mother’s Day? Did you take a walk on the trail near your home with your kiddos?
We always used to go out for Mother’s Day. This year I just wanted to stay close to home and enjoy a comforting time with my family. We ordered food so I didn’t have to cook and my son did all the cleaning up! What a treat!
Love these stories. I was just happy to get a lovely message from my son yesterday. As mothers I think we just want to be acknowledged. It felt good to be able to honour my 91 year old mom. I will see her again today and plant the lavender plant in her garden.
Kim,
I agree with you. As moms we do want to be acknowledged. It means so much to me so I know it must mean a lot to other mothers as well.
You’re lucky. I wish I had my mother here to celebrate and honor of Mother’s Day. My beautiful memories remain always.
What a beautiful collection of memories and stories, Ronni! They are all centered around time being together, time being given, time being THE gift. I always wanted to be a mom from the time I was a little girl. I’ll never forget my first Mother’s Day, which happened ten days after our oldest daughter was born. We went to my parent’s house to celebrate and it was the sweetest day. I felt like I was part of this amazing network of moms, as I learned and was encouraged by the veteran moms. This past Mother’s Day I had an array of emotions. I felt so grateful for our beautiful children and having time with them (via Zoom) on Mother’s Day. But I also felt so sad because this was the first Mother’s Day without my mom. I missed her so much. She was a great mom and taught me so much about being there for your family. She will forever be in my heart.
Linda,
I know this was a sad Mother’s Day for you. I thought of you on Sunday. The first year is very difficult. You’re experiencing all the firsts and not sharing them with the person you love and you’re missing.
Your mom is still with you and doing her magic. She’ll be there when you need her to be. She’ll speak to you and you’ll hear her. With all that she gave you, she’s there inside you. I promise you will be able to hear her.
I love these stories, Ronni they brought tears to my eyes. Mother’s Day to me has always been about spending time with my family. The best gifts, for me, are the experiences we share.
Diane,
Thank you so much and I could not agree with you more. I would say that family experiences mean so much to my children as well.I’m proud that I was able to help form that closeness.
Isn’t it fascinating watching your children become parents?
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms! I had a few good chuckles (I’m not sure I would ‘hunt my children down’ but I could relate to many of the contributors. It is both an honour and a privilege to be a mom and I’m so very glad I became a mom to three wonderful children.
Margarita,
I too am a mother to three wonderful children and I bless my good fortune every day.
Regarding that opening passage, I had some stressful moments when my kids were teenagers. And there was one in particular, who I had to ‘hunt’ down on several occasions. Wouldn’t you know, she is so grounded and responsible today and I have a feeling, when she becomes a mother, she’ll do the same.
I love that these stories all centered around mothers spending time with their children. I particularly loved the story about the fashion-forward mother who also knew how to appreciate spending money wisely. She taught her child how to delight in the wise acquisition of clothing that made her feel good, but also how to be smart with everyday tasks. That reminding me of my own elegant (and hysterically funny) mother. My mother has, repeatedly, left me laughing so hard that I’ve had to lie down on the floor, pressing my spine against a cold floor just so I could hold my aching ribs while laughing. She is regal, but she’s also silly, and I know she could lift a building off of me to save me, if necessary. I know some people aren’t lucky enough to have mothers in their corners, so stories like this remind me to always be grateful for how lucky I am to have my mom.
Julie,
Oh, I love your mother she sounds wonderful. So that’s where you get your sense of humor!?
The woman you refer to in the post is actually my mother. Though I didn’t write the memory, my sister did. Talk about elegant, I chose a photo, very Audrey Hepburn-ish that reminded me of my mom. She was avant-garde and set the tone and style for all her friends. She was quite something.