Mother's Day does not have to be done without mom's participation.

Mother's Day is great. It's a day to celebrate the hard work, the fun adventures, and the love that comes with being a mother. Many families plan this day's festivities in great detail. But had I realized how much we all could have learned about caring, I would have started earlier helping my family plan the best Mother's Day ever.

I would have started out by reminding them that Mother's Day is in May, is celebrated by just about everyone we know, and will be celebrated in our home. We would have read books about Mother's Day, its history, and its meaning. We would have understood the importance of special days just to honor special people.

We would have moved on to the subject of Mother's Day cards. We would have talked about the difference between store bought and home made. We would have talked about ways to design our own cards, such as writing about favorite memories, copying favorite poems, and drawing pictures of special things. We would have learned that whether they are bought or created, cards sent from the heart are treasures because of the thoughts behind them.

We would have continued with the possibilities for Mother's Day gifts. We would have discussed choosing something that represented their thoughts of me as their mother and as a person. Maybe it would be something that they knew I liked. Maybe it would be something I liked to do. Maybe it would be a promise of a future event. But it would be something unique from them to me. We would have learned by carefully considering the recipient; a thoughtful present is always the best present.

We would move on to the Mother's Day Meal. We would talk about what I liked to eat and where. We would learn that when celebrating a person, it's important to dine at a meal consisting of that person's favorites, even if you don't like it!

Finally, we would talk about ways to celebrate the day. Maybe we would go to a place of my choice. Maybe we would play a family game. Maybe we would watch home movies or go through family pictures. Maybe we would complete a family project or a community project. We would learn that spending time with a special person on a special day is often the best gift of all.

My part would be to write each child a note, telling them how much their lives have changed mine in so many wonderful ways. I would remind them of special things we had done that year, and how much I love them. After all, it's because of them that I am honored on this special day.

Mother's Day is a day of celebration. Some families plan the celebration for months before while others remember it the day after. By teaching our children how to care for us, we teach them how to care for others. On Mother's Day, by helping our children learn to celebrate us, we honor the very thing we do every day - lovingly mother our children.

About the Author:

Luanne Davidson is the proud mother of three adult children and wonders what might have been if she had done a thing or two differently. She writes her "Coulda, Woudla, Shoulda" column each Thursday.

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