When I was a little girl, it went without saying that my father and my
sisters would somehow find a way to buy my mother a bottle of Chanel
No.5 for Mother’s Day. It was a tradition. Some years it was a very
small bottle or the toilet water version, but only once can I recall a
time when it didn’t happen. It was during the 1970’s recession when my
father had lost his job, we had very little money and lived in the
projects.

As a child, not having enough money to buy better things or food
didn’t bother me that much.
But I was not happy when we couldn’t afford my mom’s perfume. So, I decided that we needed to pull out the stops and
make her “Queen for the Day,” enrolling my family into performing
every act of servitude we could muster up. We were creative and
dramatic and it turned into a celebration that our mother truly
loved. The truth is, she loved us and was moved by our efforts to show
our love and appreciation…it didn’t matter what we did.

One Mother’s Day years later, my own daughter, Anjelica (who was only
five at the time and didn’t have money to shop for her mommy either!)
woke me up with a big surprise. She tiptoed into my room with a little
vase of freshly picked flowers and said, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mommy!
I’m making you breakfast in bed! Stay here!,” she demanded. I was a bit
reluctant but she was so determined that I obeyed and said “okay, but
no turning on the stove!”

A little while later she came in beaming with pride and a little tray
filled with goodies. There were baby carrots and a bowl of syrup (for
dipping the carrots), toast and a glass of milk. It was so sweet and
adorable I couldn’t have been happier. Then she crawled in bed with me
and watched with fascination as I consumed every bite of her culinary
creation. It’s one of my favorite memories and without a doubt, my
favorite Mother’s Day!

So, it’s not about the money or the gifts you give. It’s
about the heart and intention that you put into showing your love and
appreciation that win a Mother’s heart.

Here are Ten Inexpensive Ways to Appreciate Your Mom on Mother’s Day:
1.Give her you – spend time with her, cook her a meal, give her a pedicure, nurture and pamper her.
2.Make her a “Memory Book” filled with photos of your favorite times together.
4.Write her a poem.
5.Plant a little garden in her yard.
6.Write a journal filled with your memories of her and words of appreciation.
7.Take her on a drive to someplace meaningful to her.
8.Make a family video documenting your favorite moments with her.
9. If you’re musical, write and record a song for her.
10.Make her “Queen for the Day” and vow to do what you can to make her feel special, loved and appreciated. She’ll remember it forever.

Happy Mother’s Day Everyone!