Every Day is for Mom
Every Day is for Mom
The best gift is time together; Local ideas to make this Mother’s Day memorable
Where would we be without our moms???? I mean, seriously… we wouldn’t, now, would we? From the time we are nothing but a sweet dream and a glint in our parent’s eyes, we are forever bonded to our parents - even more so to our mothers because moms knew us nine months before our dads did, right? What’s more, mothers around the world say they feel like their children are still a part of them long after they've given birth. As it turns out, that is literally true. During pregnancy, cells from the fetus cross the placenta and enter the mother's body, where they can become part of her tissues. Read Smithsonian September 2, 2015 for more information.
As a mom, I can attest to that feeling that I carry part of my offspring long after they were born, and in my case, that’s more than 50-some years. Once a mom, always a mom! And as a mom, I can assure you that some of the best ideas I would have for celebrating Mother’s Day would involve spending time with my children. Personally, I think it’s more important for kids to get home to visit on Mother’s Day than on Easter or Christmas, if they live miles or states away. So, top gift on my list would be quality time with my offspring, perhaps attending church, having brunch, reminiscing, looking at old photos, having dinner and margaritas, remembering fun times, and catching up in person.
Food: We celebrate most milestones in our days - and our lives - by eating… either a meal at a favorite restaurant (for me - The Silver Fox) or a grand family picnic like eNOW’s Jessica Schultz’s family is planning (to which I have been graciously invited), which I am sure will be an elaborate feast punctuated by beautiful-to-look-at and delicious-to-eat desserts.
With the weather turning warmer, perhaps we need to look to Spain and their custom of Siesta where a few hours are taken to escape the heat, have a meal with others, and nap or sip margaritas on the deck. Just think, if we all did a Siesta on Mother’s Day, we might find ourselves more easily connecting with those around us.
Mother’s Day can be celebrated any day of the week, or better still, ALL week! Why not book a massage, go for a walk in the Nannen Arboretum or do the historical walk through the village ending at the Gazebo where you can sit and people watch, or simply enjoy the scenery.
Do a craft together, build a family cookbook (and bake a recipe or two), or make a time capsule to be opened in a time frame agreed upon by all.
Ellicottville is such a fun village for shopping. Create a scavenger hunt involving some favorite shops, ending at a new restaurant for dinner or a Mother’s Day toast.
If the weather isn’t the best, have a movie marathon, cook some pizzas or easy favorite foods, drink some wine or margaritas (notice a pattern here?) and take lots of pictures for a Mother’s Day collage.
Flowers: A study by Nancy Etcoff, Ph.D. of Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, determined that flowers affect people. Their presence in a room makes people happier and more compassionate toward others. The traditional Mother’s Day gift is a single carnation. "The carnation does not drop its petals, but hugs them to its heart as it dies, and so, too, mothers hug their children to their hearts, their mother love never dying." Spoken by Anna Jarvis, creator of Mother’s Day in 1927. Jarvis and her mother were known to have a white carnation garden at their home in Philadelphia. In honor of her late mother, "She distributed 500 carnations at the first official [Mother's Day] service because they were her mother's favorite flower," a florist, Rita Dancyger explains.
Speaking of flowers, why not have a gardening afternoon, planting some new posies in mom’s garden, or if she has gone on to her adventure into eternity, place some bright fresh flowers at her gravesite, her final resting place if her ashes were scattered on land, or in your own yard in a sweet memorial garden.
Is mom a book lover? Introduce her to a book club, help her start one in her own community, or set her up online for a book-a-month. As for me, I’d love a commemorative brick at the Ellicottville Library or the Arboretum (or both).
Finally, Lucky Day Homestead is presenting a Mother Daughter Picnic Hike on Saturday, May 18th from 11:00am-2:00pm. Check it out on their FB page. As a prelude to the outdoorsy hike and picnic, you could “Go Big or Go Home” and give mom a dress-up opportunity (how often do moms get to do that in their busy lives?) and make a reservation for a five-course wine dinner at Villaggio on Wednesday, May 15th from 6:00-9:00pm. Villaggio has teamed up with the Winery of Ellicottville to host a memorable evening fit for a Queen, aka your mom! Make your reservation at VillagioEVL.com. Yum! Happy Mother’s Day/Week, everyone!