Many of us express our gratitude with gifts on Mother’s Day. But reflecting on the reasons for our love and sharing them with Mum is just as meaningful.
Appreciating people for who they are and what they do cultivates gratitude. This in turn encourages you to show affection and attention – great gifts at any time of the year.
Six ways to appreciate Mum
Not sure how to begin? Ask yourself these questions and jot down the answers:
Q1. When I think of my mother, which physical characteristic comes to mind? Is it her voice, her hair, her hands, her eyes, her smile or her laugh? Why does this aspect catch my attention?
Q2. What kind of person is my mother? Which memory exemplifies this?
Q3. Thanks to my mother, which basic needs did I not have to worry about?
Q4. What hard lesson did my mother teach me that I am grateful to have learned?
Q5. What’s one thoughtful thing that I did for my mother? How did I feel after doing it?
Q6. How would I complete this sentence? “I know you care for me because _____________________________________________________.”
Give as many examples as you like.
Let Mum know how you feel
Mothers may seem to know everything about their children but they’re not mind readers. Share your responses with Mum: you could compile them into a letter or send them as daily messages over six days, starting on Mother’s Day.
To add some fun, hide the messages as notes around Mum’s home for her to discover over time.
If it’s not possible to share your words in person or online, write them down anyway. Then imagine giving your mother a hug. See yourself putting your arms around her and holding her close. Feel her returning the embrace, maybe resting her cheek against yours.
Even if your mother is not with you, you can feel her warmth.
Turning memories into a tribute
Need help crafting your responses into a thank you letter that Mum will never forget? Here’s an example to get you going:
When I think of you, I remember your laughter. I wish I knew how you laugh so easily.
I’ve never met anyone who sees the funny side of things like you do. Once, when you let me help you bake cookies, I dropped an entire bowl of flour – it flew everywhere.
I thought you would scold me but you just laughed and said, it’s snowing in the kitchen.
Thanks to you, I never had to worry about where my next meal would come from.
Thanks to you, I got to go to school.
But I preferred to play. When you found out that I’d skipped classes, you got so angry. You said, if you don’t want to study, I’ll take you out of school.
That’s when I learned that education is a privilege, not a right. I realised then that the opportunity to learn is something to be grateful for.
When I was about 10, there was a time when you were ill. I made you soup and felt proud of myself for doing the cooking for once. The soup didn’t have much flavour – it was just vegetables in hot water – but you finished it all. That made me so happy.
I know you care for me and my feelings because you still eat everything I dish up, even though you’re the better cook.
For this and everything else, I love you, Mum.
You’ve answered the six questions and know how you’re going to say thank you. But you still want to buy Mum something nice. Why not surprise her with one of our gorgeous floral bed linen sets? If you’re not sure which pattern she’d like, offer her a range of gift choices with a convenient digital card.
