Americans have been officially celebrating Mother’s Day for more than a century, but human beings have celebrated their moms since the beginning of time.
Their mother’s heartbeat is the first sound that a child hears, the first person they see and the first one to cuddle them close. For some children, their mom isn’t the one who gave them birth, but the one who chose to love them and put the child’s needs before their own.
We asked some local moms what Mother’s Day means to them, the best way to spend the day and their most memorable Mother’s Day.
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I am thankful that Mother’s Day gives all of us a chance to pause and honor the mothers and mother figures in our lives. My maternal grandmother outlived my mother (and mom’s brother) and I was honored to continue show appreciation and celebrate her and all she meant to us. Mother’s Day reminds me to thank and celebrate women who have been like mothers.
Gathered with loved ones is the best way to spend Mother’s Day or any other day. Relaxed cookout at home, casual dining (or fancy in the dining room), a restaurant treat, a chance to worship with family make it special. And it is a great weekend to ask for help on a project. Who can say no to Mom on Mother’s Day?
Of course, many Mother’s Day memories are special. I treasure times I was able to celebrate our mothers and other mothers that have impacted our lives. However, one of my favorite memories is my first Mother’s Day and getting to hold and love on my own six-week-old daughter. I felt God had honored me with the opportunity and I had big shoes to fill in being the mother she needed.
– Karen Ellen Anderson
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Mother’s Day is a beautiful way to celebrate all of the mothers, grandmothers and mother figures we all have in our lives. It’s a time to support the women around us and say “thank you, I see you, you are amazing!”
I am blessed to have my mother and my grandmother to celebrate. And, in addition to celebrating my mother-in-law, aunts, sisters-in-law and my sisters, there are a lot of fabulous friends as well who all deserve recognition for everything they do. I like to reflect on the fact that there is truly a village around me and, short of singing the YMCA a la Village People, there are “many ways to have a good time.”
My most memorable Mother’s Day was my first one as a mom! My eldest daughter was three months old at the time, and she was just the cutest little squishy baby (I know, I know – every mom says that – eyeroll). It’s amazing how your perspective changes after you have a child, not just of how you view yourself, but how you view the world. For me, I started thinking about the impact I want to have, and the legacy I get to create with my girls. Both of my girls are parts of my heart living outside my body and I’m so happy God chose me to be their mother. It’s the best!
– Valerie Landry
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Mother’s Day is a well-celebrated day for all women who have physically given birth, but not all mothers fit into this category. A mother can be defined as so much more.
For me, a mother is someone who gives selflessly and puts their own feelings aside in order to nurture another being. I am certainly a mama to my precious daughter, Emily, but I am also a mother to Frankie and Opal, our family members who walk on four legs. I served as a mother to the students I taught long before having Emily.
Being completely overwhelmed by love, joy, compassion, responsibility, and selflessness encompasses everything the word “motherhood” implies. The ‘official’ Mother’s Day can often be a sad day for folks who have lost their mothers, have not been able to conceive or adopt a child, or those who are estranged from their family. With this in mind, I point out that each of us, in our own special way, are mothers. A “mama,” as we from the deep south call it, is the one who instills values into the lives of those they touch. They are the silent observers who encourage and love lavishly. They are the cheerleaders in the stands, the shoulder to cry on and the ears that listen without judgement. They are the first to stand with applause and the one who wears their heart on their sleeve.
Every day that I wake up and have breath in my lungs is a Mother’s Day to me. Spending time with my precious mama and daughter are my favorite ways to spend the actual day or any day for that matter. My mother turned 90 in December and her voice is the first one I hear in the morning and the last one I hear at night. When I had Emily I immediately realized that my mother changed her intellectual status from highly intelligent to genius. It is from our mothers that we learn about life. They are our first friend and teacher. Mine is the one who loves me unconditionally.
When I taught school, I could solve every problem that a parent had. I was full of advice. Then reality happened. I had Emily. There is nothing more humbling than to have a child. It was at that point I learned to never say “never;” specifically, the phrase “my child will never do that.” I quickly understood exactly what I didn’t know. Eating crow became a daily occurrence—if only I had attended cooking school.
Let each of us embrace our mothers, in whatever form that may be, whatever stage or age they are. May we shower them with loving acts of kindness on Mother’s Day and every day of the year.
– Laurie Bianco
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Mother’s Day is the opportunity for me to thank the Lord for the privilege of being a mom, and now remembering my mom.
I love to spend the day with the adult kids at the house with good food, a little cornhole or watching something together on TV.
Looking back, I would say it was probably the Mother’s Day of 2005. We had been through a lot as a family with our son needing two bone marrow transplants. After the second transplant in February, our home life was just returning to a good routine for that Mother’s Day. That whole year was a year of gratitude for Ryan’s successful recovery.
– Maureen Maidlow