My childhood memories of Mother’s Day involve being with family. We would always attend church together, and then in earlier years eat lunch at my grandmother’s house. I especially loved the homegrown green beans canned from her garden, and her homemade pie crust was to die for! When I think of it now, she didn’t take the day off for Mother’s Day. As a matter of fact she probably spent more time than usual cooking and making the day special for everyone else. As the years went on, my own mother continued those traditions, and now that I am a mother, passing down those customs has become my responsibility.

Flowers – A Mother's Day Tradition

One tradition is especially dear to me now. I remember that on Mother’s Day, my grandmother would wear a white flower on the lapel of her jacket. My sister, mother and I would be given a red flower to wear, sometimes a carnation bought at the flower shop or even a red rosebud clipped from the rosebush in the yard.

I remember the year my mother explained that white flowers were in honor of those that had lost their mothers, while those that had mothers still living would wear red. At church in those days, many would wear the flowers and I would scan the room to see the different women and what color they were wearing. My sister and I were so proud when my father would make sure that we had our red flowers to wear. Those are treasured memories.

Start Your Own

This year is a great time to start your own Mother's Day tradition. Here are a few last-minute ideas that will be of some help. Breakfast in bed is almost guaranteed, no matter how hard it is to patiently stay in the bed, pretending to be asleep while you hear the kitchen being dismantled pan by pan. Homemade cards or coupons promising to walk the dog or clean a room are treasured keepsakes. A meal together, prepared with love or enjoyed in a favorite restaurant, provides memories that last a lifetime. What about a beautiful bouquet of flower? Flowers always make a beautiful statement, and can easily become a part of your Mother’s Day traditions.

This year, I am sharing my tradition of wearing red or white flowers on Mother’s Day as another way to honor mom. It’s the perfect way to make moms and daughters feel special or to memorialize those mothers that have passed away.

No matter how your family celebrates Mother’s Day, it is important to remember those traditions passed down from your family.

We all want to find just the right way to show our mom how much she means to us. After all, who else would spend five hours on a miniature birthday cake just to have it destroyed within five minutes? She has given us life, and gone without so many times just to see us smile. While there may not be a perfect gift out there that can fully describe our gratitude, here are a few ideas for gifts with a personal touch that will definitely put a smile on her face.

An Old Fashioned Letter: This is an oldie-but-goodie. For a mom, nothing is sweeter than hearing encouragement from her kids. Take the opportunity to sit down and flood some paper with your favorite qualities that she possesses or your favorite moments with her. Encourage her with ways that you appreciate her selflessness as your caregiver or how you noticed when she made you your favorite dessert as a kid when you had a bad day. She needs to hear those things and a letter is possibly the best way to reflect on the woman who has given you so much. It will be a gift that keeps on giving because you can be certain she will read it over and over, even when Mother's Day has long passed.

Your Time: Obviously, this gift also entails how you spend your time, but start with blocking off some time for her that you know she will look forward to. Meet her for lunch at her favorite place, just you and her, and give her an uninterrupted hour. She will leave with a full and happy heart, I promise. She knows you're busy, so it will mean a lot that you wanted to spend some quality time with her.

Jewelry: Now, we all know that jewelry can be the most over-done and impersonal present there is, but it doesn't have to be! Notice if she wears a certain piece of jewelry a lot–whether it's a necklace, bracelet, or earrings–and give her a new piece that has meaning. Put the birthstones of her kids on bracelet, or pick out a ring that symbolizes how much she means to you. As long as you take the time to make it personal, it can be something that will brighten her day when she wears it because she will think of the story behind it.

Pictures: You can go with pictures you already have, or you can plan ahead a little bit to capture some particularly special moments you want her to have. Keep your eyes open for opportunities such as when she's reading to her grandchildren or holding your dad's hand. You can also set up photo-ops with certain people that she loves so you can frame them later without her ever knowing the secret reason behind the picture.

A Party: We can't forget this option! Try to round up a handful of her favorite people. Keep it small so as to keep the personal feel. Get together for a couple of hours to celebrate her with her favorite meal, dessert, and conversation. You don't have to make it extravagant and spend tons of money; just make her feel special. You can even go to her favorite restaurant so you don't have to cook. Shower her with praise around the dinner table by taking turns sharing why you love her. After all, that's what Mother's Day is all about–bringing to light all of the love that she has spent so much time giving to you.

Mother's Day is the time to show your mother how much you really do appreciate her. So get creative with a gift that says it all.