Staff Writer
In celebration of Mother’s Day, florists are busy taking orders for cut flowers, plants and shrubs, jewelry advertise mother’s rings and pendants and restaurants encourage early reservations for that special breakfast or dinner. It’s a special day set aside to bring to mind all that these wonderful creatures, called mother, do, every day, every night, over and over again, not because they have to but because it’s what they do, and no one can do it exactly the way it should be done, except them.
Aroostook Republican photo/Barb Scott
Bright flowers, a good book, a favorite bowl found while antiquing and a cup of blackberry tea — just a few of my favorite things. Surprise your Mom with a few of hers on Mother’s Day.
While flowers, jewelry and fine dining are a welcomed treat, if most mothers were asked what they really wanted for their special day, it might just be to know that their children don’t take them for granted, that they don’t want medals for raising their children, they just want to take a deep breath and relax a bit, knowing their children don’t think the good fairy comes in during the night to do the ironing, the cleaning, or the baking of 12 dozen cupcakes for a school event. Moms want to feel that amidst all the hustle and bustle of everyday life, their kids grow up to realize things got done by someone and it wasn’t the maid or the good fairy.
It’s the little hand-made gifts, by children that are treasures a mom will keep forever. It’s the hand-crafted vase decorated with spray painted macaroni that holds the wildflowers on the kitchen counter, it’s those plaster of Paris hand prints that bring tears as a mom realizes, when looking at it again, that this small handprint now belongs to a grown child, perhaps married with a baby of their own.
I remember as a child, laboring over a particular Mother’s Day project in school. We were making our very own hand-made card out of construction paper. After spending a lengthy amount of time, getting the paper folded the correct way(so it didn’t open backwards), we were each given a piece of white construction paper (which was stapled onto the front of the card), something we didn’t often get for our art projects and on this special white paper we were instructed how to draw a carnation.
It’s most difficult to draw, if like me, one doesn’t have that natural ability to do so, a flower, with a pencil on white paper, without smudging. (We were only allowed one piece of white paper.) After finally getting the long-stemmed carnation drawn, with the leaves the proper angles, we got to color our masterpieces. On the inside of the card, we wrote our very own special messages, again in pencil. I can still sense the feeling of sweaty hands, gripping that pencil tightly, head lowered over that white construction paper, trying so very hard to make that card perfect.
That Friday after school, I remember bringing that card home, being so excited about having a really special secret gift for my mother; that when he got home, I had to show my father, quickly hiding it in my bedroom until Sunday morning.
Following the death of my mother, while going through years and years of her keepsakes, I came across that Mother’s Day card, with the bright pink carnation, still showing signs of pencil smudges, tucked in with all the other handmade and store bought cards given to her by all of her children and grandchildren over many, many Mother’s Days.
Give your time to your mom, look through the scrapbooks of cards, allow yourself the treat of listening to the stories that go with your baby pictures, (you’ll never have anyone else tell you what a beautiful baby you were) and ask questions about family ties, Your mom, grandmother, an aunt or great aunt, hold the history of your life, don’t even for one day, take for granted that someone will always be near to refresh your memory of these wonderful stories.
On May 11, fix that special breakfast for Mom (don’t forget to clean up the kitchen), take her to lunch, buy that jewelry, flowers, plants or that new book out by her favorite author, but don’t just go through the motions, think about the day. Moms are happy knowing that their children love and respect them but above even that, we take greater satisfaction knowing our children realize how much we love them; for ever and ever.
