She knows us better than anybody, and we know her better than most. So why do we have so much trouble figuring out what Mom wants for Mother’s Day?
The answer is that (surprise!) not all moms are the same. You probably knew that because from your earliest memory, you recognized that your mom is the best. She was the doctor who fixed skinned knees and the counselor who eased disappointment and the engineer who fixed bicycles and the executive who kept the family and the house in tip-top shape. And, surely, that made her the best mom in the world.
But as we recognize Mother’s Day today (yes, it’s today; there’s still time to get a present and make a special meal, in case you forgot), we realize that it can be difficult finding that perfect way to let Mom know that you know that she is the greatest.
That can be difficult. For example, a survey from Groupon reveals that Mom wants something with sentimental meaning, to be taken out for brunch, a homemade item, a family trip, or a simple card. Considering that Groupon is not a renowned center for social sciences, we’re guessing this survey was unscientific.
Then there is an article from Parenting.com, which lists Mom’s preferences for Mother’s Day: A clean house; sleep; a really good workout; a spa day; or a day free of the “mom routine.” And there is an article at Moneyish.com with the headline, “Honestly, your mom probably doesn’t want the Mother’s Day gift you bought her,” which is a fairly deflating thought on what should be a happy day of celebration.
The point is that only you can figure out the perfect gift for your perfect mom. The National Retail Federation estimates that Americans will spend about $23.1 billion this year creating the ideal way to shower our mothers with love.
That seems like a small price to pay, considering that the typical mom performs jobs worth a salary of $68,875 during the course of the year, according to the Mother’s Day Index from Insure.com. She doesn’t get paid for those jobs, of course, because motherhood is its own reward. Or at least she keeps telling herself that.
For Mother’s Day itself, we can thank Anna Jarvis, who is regarded as the founder of the holiday. After a lobbying effort led by Jarvis, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation in 1914 making the holiday an annual occurrence and declaring “a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.” As the event grew into a commercial bonanza in subsequent years, Jarvis became dismayed. The Associated Press reported in 2008, “Jarvis became known for scathing letters in which she would berate people who purchased greeting cards, saying they were too lazy to write personal letters.” She might have had a point; in searching for the perfect gift, a handwritten letter would be a meaningful alternative to the typical greeting card.
Which returns us to the original point: Only you know the ideal way to say thanks to the best mom ever for all that she does and has done. As actress Jessica Lange is credited with saying: “The natural state of motherhood is unselfishness. When you become a mother, you are no longer the center of your own universe. You relinquish that position to your children.”
That, we understand, can never be adequately repaid.
Happy Mother’s Day.
