Guest post from Victoria of Snail Pace Transformations
Mother’s Day is fast approaching, and as it gets closer and closer, the ads on TV are pushing purchases of jewelery, fine chocolates and store bought cards. And Pinterest is full of cute ideas of decorated flower pots and homemade cards.
Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate (and I have yet to receive a homemade gift from my children that I did not love) but I think that sometimes we forget it’s the simple things that make the most memorable gifts.
I don’t remember the exact Mother’s day. I don’t remember even why I picked that Mother’s day to give this gift, but I have been forever touched by it’s impact.
That year I grabbed a dollar store card, and in it, I place a simple list written on plain paper. Little did I realize how much my mother would cherish that list. Perhaps if I did, I would have chosen nicer paper. Perhaps I would have used my best handwriting, but then again, I doubt that would have changed the cord it struck in my mother’s heart.
On the list, written with the ink of a inexpensive dollar store pen, were 10 things my mom held dear.
What were those 10 things? What was that list? Why did it touch my mother’s heart so?
The title read “10 Reasons Why I am Glad You Are My Mother”.
Each point I thought about, some were simple “I love your habit of backwards dinners” some were more deep “thanks for providing the best you could for me with what you had”.
My mom and me
Never was a thank you said, never was the list even mentioned until one year when my mom knew her time on earth was coming to an end. She said, “honey, the best Mother’s day gift you ever gave me was that list. In fact, I still have it an read it often”.
Words (not things) have lasting power.
This year, why don’t you include your own list of reasons why you love your mother with your gift or card ?
Victoria writes at Snail Pace Transformations with the mission of helping moms find the time and money they need to pursue their passions while still maintaing harmony in their homes. This Mother’s day you will find her eating ice-cream before dinner in memory of her mother.
Thank you for reminding me that it’s not the “things” that matter most…or sometimes, even at all. My mom is a hard one to gift anything to because she sees herself as a conduit of things and tends to give almost everything away she can. THIS will be a much more memorable mother’s day than those from the past. Thank you so much!
I agree!
The best Mother’s Day gift I ever received was before I even had kids. My sister wrote me a letter and in it talked about all the things she loved about me and thanked me for treating my niece as my own. I cried and cried and I still have it and YES I still read it if I’m feeling down.
It reminds me of that song by Hawk Nelson, “Words.” We just never know how our words will impact others.
I have another meaningful Mother’s Day gift idea. You can read about on my blog, but to summarize here, get a gift from a charity gift catalog and symbolic gift to show her what you bought. You could buy seeds to help a family in another country start a garden and give her a packet of seeds in her Mother’s Day card, explaining what you’ve done. It’s such a small thing for her, but a huge thing for a family who could be facing starvation. Just a thought. 🙂
Link to more ideas:
http://wandawhoopiecushion.blogspot.ca/2013/04/the-best-mothers-day-present.html
I made a similar list (via Facebook Notes) for my Dad for Father’s Day a few years ago. I did mine “David Letterman Style” and did the “Top Ten Things My Daddy Taught Me.” He loved it! My mom had to print it off for him, so he could read it, but it was a big hit!
Oh, I love it!
How precious. I am going to do that for my mom this Mother’s Day. Thank you for sharing!
So sweet, Victoria! Thank you for sharing.
Victoria, reading this brought tears to my eyes. What a great reminder of what will matter most to all of us at the end of our lives here on Earth. I’m sure you miss your mom every day but days like Mother’s Day must make that loss even harder. Thank you for sharing with others about what’s really important for that day.
Thanks for the great idea!
How very loving! God bless you for your kind and thoughtful ways:o)
What a loving treasured gift Victoria. You have such a good heart and it is beautiful to share this story in your mother’s honor and to help others touch the hearts of their mother in the way you did yours. Thank you for sharing this personal cherished gift with us.
I love this. My hubby’s birthday is next week and I mentioned to the kids that a letter telling him something they appreciate or love would be better than anything this year.
I’m going to do the same for my hubby and for my mom (his birthday is a few days before mother’s day)
This brings tears to my eyes…so awesome! Especially since it meant the world to your mother!
My kids have been told from a very young age that their Dad and I would rather they not spend any money on gifts but make a card for us. So every birthday, mother and father’s day we have received a handmade card from them. And I have kept them in a large three ring binder with plastic sheets. Holds a lot of memories, from the wording they used when they were younger, to their handwriting, to saying “thank you for listening to me” or “thank you for helping me with homework” or “thank you for playing games with me”.
I have a special scrapbook that I keep of all the Mothers Day cards that my children make for me. I treasure it and look forward to their homemade cards each year. It is my most favorite part of Mothers Day.
Wow that’s beautiful I think I’m going to do that for my mom .its the simple things that we do and our kids that mean the most not the gifts thanks for sharing.was a blessing to me.
That was beautiful. Thanks for sharing it.
This is perfectly wonderful. I love it!
Oh, you have a beautiful heart. 🙂 How deeply proud your mama must have been, of you, and the knowledge that you fully understood what was dearest. Such a legacy.
Thank you. I miss her dearly.