12 Women Share What Mother’s Day Means to Them

“By the time we make it out, I will have celebrated an anniversary, my birthday, my husband’s birthday, Easter, and Mother’s Day. The weekends have less meaning, and while these milestones still pack sentiment, they have been treated with much less fanfare. Could this time be used as a healthy tempering of our expectations? Does everything need a picture-perfect celebration, completed with the most thoughtful and unique gift? I’m looking into the ways I have become hypnotized by a lifetime of Norman Rockwellian consumerism combined with social-media fetish. Daily scrolls through the perfect proposals, valentines, kid’s birthdays, weddings, and vacations compounded with increasingly more complex gift guides for not just December but for Mother’s and Father’s Days. Does it make me happy? There’s an external standard set up for us, and it asks us to outdo last year’s version of itself. It’s become sharp and clear recently, as I’ve had performance anxiety on days that should be noted only with sweetness. Something else has become clear: I crave time and presence. Either with myself in silence or with my husband. I crave the kind of presence that requires phones to be put away, dishes to be left in the sink, children to be asleep, and thoughts to be left outside of the body… My household has had lots of time together, but not a lot of depth of presence. Not with all the cooking, WFH, nap schedules, dishes, toilet-bowl scrubbing, homeschooling, vacuuming, etc. I haven’t come to any conclusions yet about what this time has offered and how I can best integrate, but there are basic desires coming into focus. I want to have more discipline around being grateful for life itself; I want to deeply feel the blessing of the sun shining for us every day. I’d like to use this time and Mother’s Day to practice desiring less and noticing more, simply because I believe it will make me happier and because I think we have sailed past the point of stuff actually getting in the way of feeling. So with that, my three Mother’s Day desires are: a foot rub, a bath (alone!), [and] a quick meditation with my husband that includes a few minutes of just us afterwards.”

“This Mother’s Day, I am taking it all in. Getting something is the last thing on my mind. I am grateful for my beautiful family and thinking about mothers and children who are most in need during this time. These three organizations (National Women’s Coalition Against Violence & Exploitation, No Kid Hungry, and Association to Benefit Children) have caught my eye with what their missions are, and I’ve asked my husband to donate to them in lieu of a gift to me.”

“This year’s Mother’s Day feels a little different. This year is about what mothers are doing: holding families together, sacrificing on the front line, meeting the challenges of this crazy moment head-on. The silver lining is that I get to be with my kids. I typically work from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM, but now I work from home, so I get to see the ins and outs and in-betweens, which is the bright side to this madness. When I need a moment, we are fortunate to go for beach walks and breathe. Just breathe and feel grateful for all we have. The things I’m coveting most right now are things that make my days brighter, no matter the mood: I am obsessed with Tenoverten’s nail care. The celery oil is AMAZING and it smells SO good and makes me feel like I’m taking care of myself even when I can’t. In light of where we are right now, I’ve been eyeing this Oliver Jeffers print, a reminder that we are all so small and the universe has one up on us!”

“To be completely honest, I’m not sure if this Mother’s Day will be much different from a non-quarantined Mother’s Day. If you take away all the stress and the uncertainty—every day this month has been a bit like Mother’s Day. We have all been so present as a family unit, and that’s truly my Mother’s Day dream come true. Although...I would love to escape and run out to get a massage or a pedicure or have some sort of me time. I will say, my wish list has totally changed since sheltering at home. It went from The Row boots to lusting after a vacuum (specifically the Miele TriFlex Cordless Vacuum, which isn’t out until summer 2020). Mmm, I would still take those The Row boots though...Niki, if you’re reading this… Some other things on my list are donations to No Kid Hungry and this lamp.”

“Mother’s Day just feels like another day to count my lucky chickens that I’m Abe’s mum. He’s six months old and giggles fiendishly when we play peek-a-boo, spits out every spoon of puree I put in his mouth, and stares at me unflinchingly when I speak. I doubt I’ll do anything special to ‘celebrate’ (I don’t even know what day it’s on!), but most days with him feel like a party anyway. The three things I want: to renovate my grandma’s earrings, some Hilma chill pills, a case of my breastfeeding tipple.”

“I’m viewing this Mother’s Day with more appreciation for mothers everywhere. Now more than ever, I can see how important a mother’s view on things [is]. Mothers in most families are the holding glue, the leader, the mood setter, so it’s important to be well-educated, loving, and kind to lead our [families] in the right direction. Most people’s whole life is mostly influenced by their mother for their first few years, and it sets a tone for the rest of your life as an adult. There is no love stronger than that of a mother…even though she may not know how to always show it the right way. I think, today, mothers everywhere should lean into that maternal instinct and give extra love to those around us, because how you make people feel is how they will remember you. This year, what I want is mostly for this pandemic to go away! But shoppingwise, I’d love to help support some small businesses. Simone le blanc has been my favorite. This kit is perfect for right now. Moon Juice has new skin-care products, and I just love it… I trust that Amanda creates the best, safe products for us all, and the new packaging is awesome. Lastly, I’ve been eyeing this little vintage bar from 1st dibs.”

“Mother’s Day this year is just as meaningful to me as the two previous years. My daughter was in the NICU for my first one. I remember how the first half of 2018 was such a dark period of my life and motherhood journey. We both have been through so much since pregnancy. On that Mother’s Day, I worked all day that year shooting new products from my company, Fanm Djanm. I was trying to feel uplifted doing something I loved. The shoots are always full of color, and I’m always surrounded by lovely women, so that helped me out a bit. In the evening, we went to go see her at the hospital. She was so tiny then. She was three pounds when she was born (three months before her due date). I get emotional looking at her run around now, so full of energy, personality, and life. It’s hard to make Mother’s Day about me when it has always been our journey. She is everything I’ll ever need. Every day with her is meaningful, especially the day she was born, which was the scariest day of my life. I’m just grateful to be a mother. To have someone run to me when they want warmth and love. To have someone run to me when they’re scared or when they get hurt. To have someone trust me that I will guide them in the right direction. Here are three things from small companies owned by women of color [that] I’m currently loving: these earrings by We Dream in Colour, this candlestick holder, and these champagne glasses.