You can bring a bouquet of roses or potted daisies, or even hand your mom a gift certificate for a pedicure and spa treatment. However, the most endearing, long-lasting gift is more than a peck on the cheek, a quick hug and a "happy mother's day" greeting. Even though all gifts are treasured and any recognition is appreciated, there is no gift as precious as time.
Yes... time. And the more the better.
Above every gift we could ever receive, time spent with a child is the most treasured blessing a mother could have. Time to relax, to enjoy their presence. Time to talk and enjoy one another. A walk in the woods, a lunch with just her, a day of shopping or a long conversation about dreams or memories. A son or daughter who writes or shares the impact a mother has had would mean more to her than jewels. I know from personal experience. I have several notes from my son who is now in heaven.
Before my son died on Mother's Day 2005, he would often call me up and ask me to drive down to his place and hang out with him as he worked on bidding contracts and drove from place to place in his tile business. So, I'd trek the 50 miles from Oklahoma to Texas and spend the day with him. We'd stop and have coffee or drop in at his favorite restaurant for lunch. He'd tell me all kinds of stories about his days. We laughed a lot and he dreamed alot in those visits. He sang along with songs on the radio and made all kinds of crazy noises to make me laugh. He shared his fears, his heartaches, his hopes and his joys. I'll never forget the times we had.
It must be why I dreamed the very rare dream I did about my son a few weeks ago. I dreamed I was working away at a task in an antique booth and in walks Chad. I was so surprised to see him. Though he interrupted the task at hand, I was thrilled when he said "I just came to hang out with you for a while." It was just a dream. What I wouldn't give for a few hours or weeks to hang out with him again today. To be "interrupted" by his presence. To have one more picture of us together. Even so, my dream was so real, it brought back sweet memories and snapshots of days long ago.
When I look back on my life, my most treasured experiences above all other achievements or personal fun times, are times I spent with my children and husband. From shopping trips with my teenage daughter to band trips with my son. One of my happiest times was taking them to Disney World and playing with them in the ocean. My then-13-year-old daughter read the map and navigated us from Kentucky to Florida. I still treasure the conversations I had with my daughter when she was in Hawaii and shared all her activities. Countless calls. Long phone conversations discussing school, recipes, church activities and even politics.
Today I'm blessed to have her living right next door to me-- our front doors are within 15 feet of one another. Now my most happy moments are those when she drops in to share some little part of her day-- relating some situation with her girls, or filling me in on something important to her. It doesn't have to be a big thing, just little moments of chatting. Most times she's only here for a few moments, but those moments are mine to own, to treasure. Life is busy. She homeschools her daughters, does all the bookkeeping for her husband's business and is very involved at her church as a teacher. So for each of us, time is valuable. Time is treasured.
When time is shared as a gift to another, it is truly the gift that keeps on giving. I'm so grateful I have some of those times. Are you?
SPEAKING OF TIME... my dear friend, Karen Pollock, wrote a guest post for me on my FEMININE MATTERS blog in which she shares the most blessed gift her mother gave her dad, and subsequently, her mother-in-law. Don't miss reading this blessed story of the sacrificial gift from a bride to a husband that shows the true spirit of giving and generosity here> "He first belonged to his mother," reflections of my mother's decision, by Karen Pollock.