The Best Mother's Day Gift Under $25

In early spring of 2011, my mother moved to Florida. I have never been away from her for longer than a few weeks at a time (I went to College 3 hours away, so visited home often). That first Mother’s Day was bittersweet. It was my first Mother’s Day and the first one away from my mother. I found myself struggling to be happy. My husband made it special, but that day was still missing something.

My mother taught me many valuable lessons and I always tried to repay her. I have always striven to give her the best Mother’s day ever- all she ever wanted was time together. I never understood that because I have always spent time with her. Now that I am a mother myself, I finally understand.

Mother’s Day is about celebrating being a mom, not about being recognized for all the little things you do. Celebrating this huge part of life is spending the day with those who hold your heart and not having expectations of a trip to a spa or a diamond ring.

I asked my mother what the best Mother’s Day present ever would be and this is her response “A day at the park by all my grand babies and babies.”

I have been thinking about it and the best Mother’s Day present ever is not far from her description. I believe a free gift is the best because it takes time and effort to make it special. I simply want to spend the day with my entire family. I want time with my mother just to sit, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. Of course, it would not be Mother’s Day without my husband and son! Because my mother is an artist, an even better way to spend the day would be with the whole family making art together! 

As I get older, I value time more than anything - I finally understand why mom only wanted time with us. I hope I can give that gift to my mother this year. I miss her!

This post was inspired by the contest at NerdWallet.