Gifts and flowers are a nice way to show mom you care on Mother’s Day. But this year, consider adding deeper meaning to the holiday (which falls on May 8, 2016) with these ideas:
Volunteer Together
After breakfast in bed is wrapped up, spend the day working side-by-side with your mom on a local volunteer project. Whether you take advantage of the spring weather and participate in a park clean-up, or you serve lunch at a local soup kitchen, you and your mom will enjoy quality time together, while also feeling good about helping the community.
Gifts that give back
You could forego a tangible gift altogether and instead make a donation in your Mom’s name to charity.
Here’s one worthy cause: There are 153 million orphans worldwide, according to UNICEF, many of whom lack basics like food, water, education and medical care.
“In honor of Mother’s Day, consider paying tribute to your mother by helping provide a mom to those who don’t have one,” says Caroline Boudreaux, founder of The Miracle Foundation, a non-profit that improves the way orphanages are run, funded and managed.
The international charity is currently raising funds to pay the annual salaries and room and board of housemothers working in orphanages in India. Each housemother acts as a mom to 20 orphaned children in her care, creating a nurturing environment where they can thrive.
To honor your own mother or another special woman in your life, consider visiting miraclefoundation.org/mothers to learn more about the campaign and to make a tax-deductible donation.
Use your talent
Do you sing? Are you a writer or artist? Give your mother a unique creation. From water-colored paintings to a novella starring Mom as the heroine, you can make Mother’s Day extra special by gifting something homemade and one-of-a-kind.
If your talents don’t lie in the creative realm, a note to your mom expressing love and appreciation for all that she’s done for you is a great stand-in for a store-bought card.
Whatever you decide to do for Mom this Mother’s Day, consider celebrating a little differently. While Mom should still take center stage, you can add a lot more meaning to the holiday by thinking outside the box.
