Mother’s Day has definitely become commercialized, as most of the holidays or celebrations in the United States have. It is sad, but necessary, I suppose, for those who don’t have or take the time to plan ahead. A last minute gift and card is available for those people still wanting to show respect for the mother’ figure in their life. Some years are like that.

This is the first year I finally have resolved not to keep track of who remembered me on Mother’s Day. Our grown daughters have busy lives and they are doing the best they can. Some years they are more prepared for Mother’s Day than others. This year I heard from all three of our daughters. Our middle daughter brought me three jars of flavored peanut butters. I love peanut butter, so that was a very appropriate and thoughtful gift. Our oldest daughter brought me a beautiful 1000-piece puzzle of hummingbirds. It was also very thoughtful and appropriate, as I enjoy putting puzzles together, and hummingbirds are my favorite bird. Our youngest daughter wants to go to lunch and spend an afternoon together.

My husband and I, my sister, her family, and our brother, spent the afternoon with my 80-year-old mom and 83-year-old dad on Saturday (yesterday), the day before Mother’s Day. We arrived at their house (the house I grew up in) with a small vase with three sunflowers and some fillers. My mom loves flowers!

We made dinner for mom. She likes lasagna. I NEVER buy lasagna because I have been making my own lasagna for years. My mom likes it. But this year in the interest of time and lack of planning ahead, I purchased a frozen lasagna from Costco. There were two choices. I chose the Italian Sausage one. The other choice is made with only ground beef. My mom does not care for spicy foods. So, of course, the Italian sausage on the lasagna was spicy. My mom is not a complainer. She ate the lasagna and said it wasn’t too bad and the flavor was good. Bless her kind heart.

So, dinner was a bit of a bust, but the time we spent together was great. Even if I would treat every day as if it is Mother’s Day and do all the thoughtful things I could think of, I could never repay all the things she has done for me.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the women who are mothering others.