Mother's Day Celebrations

This gift from my son will always be cherished

Last week at the park, some moms and I were reminiscing about creations that our kids have made over the years. When I got home, I looked at one such creation preserved forever through the power of Plaster of Paris: a tiny toddler hand print inside a heart coated with clumsy swipes of primary colored tempera paint. It was given to me on Mother's Day. It's amazing to trace my son's growth with these gifts adorned with and made by his hands.

Then, I got to thinking about just how those gifts came to be. It wasn't as though my wee toddler's Blackberry or iPhone alerted him to the fact that Mother's Day was around the corner (although that's entirely possible these days, I suppose). In truth, he was probably not aware of what he was doing for many of the years these gifts were made and yet they are some of the most precious to me. So let me extend a public "Thank You" to all those folks who have ever taken part in the planning and execution of any of my past Mother's Day celebrations.

And then, let me send a message to everyone else out there who may be thinking that babies and toddlers are too young to be a real part of the day. Sure, Mom will love a massage or a nice dinner out, but even the simplest card with a toddler's hand print will be remembered and cherished always. There's no better time than now to start that tradition. And for more ideas on how to make Mother's Day a special day visit this week's All About Parenting Blog Carnival.