Evolving Mother’s Day

‘Evolution’ (synonyms: progression, modification, adaptation) is how I would like to talk about Mother’s Day today. I am an 18 year-old mother and mothering over the past almost two decades has brought with it lots of cherished memories as well as learnings which I would love to share with you.

1. 1. You do need that ONE day to be celebrated – While its nice to say that you don’t need a Mother’s Day to celebrate mothers and that you can do it every single day of the year, intentions are great but life rolls in and with that everything can be forgotten. Hence its nice to have this special day to celebrate being that special someone!
   2. Its not just about being a mom, its HAVING a mom too – While its nice to be pampered by my boys, waiting on that cup of coffee or digging into those delicious scrambled eggs prepared by tiny hands, you might get carried away lapping up all the attention and might sometimes forget your own mom. So the first thing you can do on this day is to appreciate your own mother sending her all the love and attention that you seek for yourself.
   3. Don’t feel bad about adding a bit of PRESSURE – Sometimes you need to call it out if your kids have forgotten your special day. Leave those sketch pens out in the open, buy some colourful card paper and just leave it out on the dining table. “I wish I could have a teddy bear!” if you are regressing a little and want that pink teddy bear from Hallmark. Don’t feel guilty about reminding them about Mother’s Day coming up. After all its another life’s valuable learnings that they need to have!
   4. Thank you KG teachers – Remember those days when they used to run back home from school with a pretty little card clutched in their hands? Sometimes it had their handprint, sometimes their little scribble ‘I love you Mom’ with their own little drawing and their messy finger prints. These little treasures coming from school, under careful instruction from their kindergarten teachers were the best of them all!
   5. Husbands play a BIG role – If you think that perfect red rose or that delicious French toast that you had on Mother’s Day comes from your perfect child, think twice! It is your dear sweet better half who is trying his best to give you a special day. From those small additions at home to a lavish brunch at your favourite restaurant, husbands are the backbone for Mother’s Day. So appreciate their thoughtfulness and don’t forget to remind them to ring up their own mums too!
   6. Mother’s Day is made for and by WOMEN– When an American woman, Anna Jarvis held a small memorial service for her mother on May 12, 1907, little did she know that she was starting an international tradition for womanhood. Young, old, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, I receive Mother’s Day greetings from my female fraternity. Social media runs a riot of greetings from emojis to videos to IG reels where all women in the world seem to be celebrating this beautiful day. I remember having one of our Mums@PLAY community networking meetings on Mother’s Day and I distributed roses to my team making everyone feel special, mother or not.
   7. Different WAYS to celebrate every year – From receiving that first rose on Mother’s Day from my husband when my older son was just 2 months old to celebrating Mother’s Day over breakfast, lunch and dinner, to watching a family movie, going on a family hike to spending the whole day doing my SUMMER clothing sale at Discovery Bay Market with my women friends, celebrating this day has been very different each year, depending on the age of children, your husband’s enthusiasm, your need to be celebrated and so on.
   8. NOTHING lasts forever – Last but not the least it is very important to realise that this love and adulation won’t last forever. Kids grow up, husbands get old and life goes on. The key is to cherish those years of happy memories, of getting that breakfast in bed, of receiving those cute cards, of being the centre of attention and attraction for your family. The key is also to add in a pet (an adorable yellow Labrador in my case) to the family! It is the process of evolution, of change, of progression and adaptation. Nothing lasts forever. 

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