10 Things for a Mothering March.

T – 2 days.

If like me you missed your smart phone reminder on Mothers day approaching in 2 days,  it should probably explain why and if at this point you’re blankly staring at the calendar or perhaps googling to understand the countdown. But hey its never too late to remind yourself and prepare.

Interestingly the arab world celebrates mother’s day on the 21^st of March (Wikipedia explains) while in most parts of the west it is celebrated on the 2^nd Sunday of May.  Nonetheless, like how any occasion commemorating your love for someone does not require a calendar date or time, it still feels good to pause for a moment and just celebrate it in the most humble manner.   

Nurturing,, forgiving, tough, unconditional, empathetic, regal and a rock may be some of the words to describe a mother. Yet the dictionary may fall short of words to describe on how often a mother’s role is discounted as a result of several reasons, customs and other norms in our everyday lives society.  Regardless of this fact, every year the calendar presents 1 opportunity to commemorate the most unconditional presence in our lives.

You don’t have to spend a truckload to make her feel special on this day. I’ve come up with 10 inexpensive ways you can make it special because the fact remains that so often it's the simple things that matter most to mothers.

1.  Apologize to her – Forgiveness never made anyone smaller. So start by saying sorry to your mother. It could be for a simple argument over last night’s dinner, how she voiced an opinion on your job situation, how she thinks you need to do more around the house or just be more patient and less temperamental all the time.  Just for this day, tell her how sorry you are and how you realize your mistakes every time you do it.

2.  Don the chef’s hat for the day – Assume the extended role of having to make your mom more than just the humdrum traditional breakfast in bed. Countless times and may be till today she dons the chef’s hat in the kitchen post clocking in a 9-5, to satiate the entire family’s taste buds. Here’s an opportunity for her to take a mini sabbatical from household duties.

3.  Spend the day with her doing zilch – Here’s a day you can sit her down and just talk about mundane matters regardless of what you want to do. Indulge in light conversations over some piping hot tea and her favorite dessert to talk about her recent challenges at work or even fresh gossip about an annoying aunt while watching her favorite daily soap ;) Little things multiply and these translate to speak volumes about how much you care about her.

4.  Divide and conquer her fatigue – Regardless of how brilliantly she multitasks and strikes a perfect work – family balance, the age element is inevitably bound to get to the world’s best mom. Whether it’s helping with the dishes or doing the laundry, lend a hand even if it means its post your long work hours. You need not take full ownership of all the work and cancel her out, rather share the work, the sweat and fatigue and see how empathy pays off. 

5.  Make a promise this month – To not mistreat your mom regardless of her age. Often a time human behavior is dictated by frustration, rage and bitterness as a result of our daily routines.  All this sadly is misdirected to loved ones at home and the probabilities of mothers being at the receiving end of this (given their nurturing and lesser tough nature) is highly likely.  No matter what the reason is, be patient, be calm and refrain from yelling.

6.  Teach her something new – It could be to get her acquainted to a new laptop, showing her how the new LED in the house works or just on how to work that new smart phone. Orchestrate the entire activity as a fun game challenging her to learn it within the shortest span. Not only would she adore your patience with her learning curve but would appreciate your gesture in the highest regard the next time she is able to save face in front of a belittling colleague. 

7.  Schedule some “Mom” time – Whether it’s a day at the spa, crockery shopping or just window browsing at the mall during the week, schedule some timeout with her.  You’ll be able to dish out more on what’s happening at your end as well and it will do you therapeutic wonders.

8.  Relive and reminisce the golden years – This could probably be the best excuse to get rid of the dust bunnies sitting on the old family albums. But it will be worth it. Walk down memory lane across different times of her life through photographic captures in the yesteryears. You’ll not only be able to relive her youth and hillbilly days but also get a glimpse on some retro fashion (making a comeback every other year) and just may be get her to loan you some vintage jewellery in the bargain :D ;)

9.  Surprise her– If you are not fortunate enough to be living with her and are far away but can afford to surprise her by taking the next flight, don’t think twice! Money will come and go but memories and precious moments are just for now. If not…just give her a call.

10.Regular reminders – Take the opportunity to remind her how special she is.  This does not have to translate to adopting a cheesy or corny means of giving her flowers everyday or writing her endless number of cards. Your reminders could simply mean random acts of thoughtfulness and gestures during the rest of the times. Every mother deserves to be treated specially all year round.

Happy Mothers Day!