What does Mom want for Mother’s Day?
It’s Mother’s Day and the question comes up, what to get mom for Mother’s Day. The answer is so simple and often overlooked. I am your mom. I don’t want trinkets, cards or flowers, although always appreciated. I don’t need to spend a day to myself in a spa, nor do I need you to make special plans to be with me.
From the time your life connected with mine, there was a love that was unconditional and pure. I wanted you to become the best human being you could become. I wanted you to grow and change a small portion of the world for good. I wanted you to become compassionate, caring, curious, and independent. I knew then, that by instilling these traits in you, a day would come where I would have to let you fly on your own. Explore who you are and use the tools I had given you.
Every Day
I want you to feel that I celebrated your accomplishments with you. I felt your disappointments when you failed at something, but tried to not show it because I wanted you to find it within yourself to try harder next time. And to look at these times, not as failures, but as a learning tool to try harder next time.
The times I yelled or got upset, I did so because that was the only way I could get you to understand that giving up wasn’t an option. We cannot give up simply because something is becoming difficult. You showed me more times than once, that even though I felt bad for raising my voice, it was heard and you persevered.
I want you to be humble, but take pride in your accomplishments. I want you to be strong, but not use your strength to harm others. I want you to know, that as you grow older, I still worry about your safety and well-being. I want you to remember the times we had together growing up. I want you to have families of your own and pass on these traits to a new generation.
Why do I want these things?
I want these because I am your mom and because they were taught to me by my mom and her mom before her. Carry me in your heart, where I carry you always.
In the words of Robert Munsch from one of our favorite children’s book:
“I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living my baby you’ll be.”