Mom, This One’s for You

On Mother’s Day, make a phone call. Make a visit. Or make a spot at the table where she’s working right now—and give a little something back.

It’s not a gift of a card or a flower, a handprint mug or a picture frame fashioned from craft sticks (even though moms are the ones to truly appreciate them). This year, give your mom a flashback to a favorite memory. An inside joke. A five-minute shoulder rub. Just five minutes of undiluted attention.

Yes, you can always make her breakfast. But a little one-on-one time will make her day.

Moms serve up about as much praise as they do platefuls. And when it comes to compliments, like meals, they make sure everybody else gets some first.

Now’s your chance to dish a little on your mom: her strengths, her attitude, her superpowers. There’s an amazing woman beneath all the hats she wears. Choose something to brag on, and let the world know.

Most kids (and we use the term here broadly) know what makes mom unhappy. And sure, the opposite of broken dishware, forgotten science projects, and squabbling siblings makes mom happy enough.

But your mother’s most precious joy is the baby you were and the person you’re becoming. And if you know your mom, you’re counting on the fact that she’s counting on you to make the right choice, do the smart thing, and be the kind of person she knows you are meant to be.

Prove her right. Tell her why you’re glad to be you—that it’s thanks to the qualities and characteristics you got from her.

After all, who was your best cheerleader, critic, motivator, and model? Who was your foundation and your inspiration? #justamom