Kathmandu:

A Mother’s Day card

long ago read —

God has given us

Many flowers to bloom

Many stars to shine

Many friends to cherish

But

Only one mother

to remember.

The day to celebrate the woman that we call Mum/Mom/ Ma/Ama/Mua is here again.

We fight with her, we throw our tantrums at her, we blame her for every small thing that goes wrong in our lives, we shout at her, sulk and refuse to talk with her. We actually make her life hell at times, yet she is always there for us. Sometimes she fights back, but most of the time (read always), she is there for us with a lot of understanding and love.

From our first words to wherever we stand today, she is written large in every corner of our life.

Perhaps your dad pays for all the Mother’s Day gifts and goodies you bring home for your mum (if you are young or don’t earn), or you save your pocket money and get something special for her. And if you are able, you will remember to get her her favourite thing on this special days. Receiving gifts is special and mothers do deserve the very special of all gifts on this day, but if you can do something else to make it really special for her, why not do it.

Make her a card. Never mind the misspelt words here and there. Go bake her a ‘Happy Mother’s Day’ cake. And never mind if it is burnt on the side, blame the oven. Or if the dish doesn’t turn out as well as it did on TV, blame the recipe.

Because you know that when the days have flown, she won’t remember the taste of the burnt cake, only the love and care with which you mixed it. She won’t remember how disastrous the food was, only how much effort you put into it. And someday you may come across that misspellt card in one of her books.

If you have been too busy with your work, your own life — love et cetera, think about that woman you call ‘Mum’.

Special treats

• Make-up with her if you’ve quarrelling. You know it’s not worth it. We argue with her all the time and she too nags us constantly but don’t let that be a reason to sulk and not talk. It’s worthless and after few years you will regret being so unreasonable.

• Take her out to lunch or dinner (or both) to her favourite restaurant. Or if you are a good cook, fix her something special at home.

• Don’t let her do any chores that day. She deserves her leisure on this day at least. Let this day be hers.

• Buy her flowers, or better still plants that will last for years. If you plant a flower, she will remember the day every time she sees it.

• Take her on a drive somewhere she would like to go. Better still take her friends along and make a picnic of it. Play the music of their days, let them remember their good old days and let them have their ‘girls’ day out.

• Do those chores for her that you never do (but are supposed to).

• Give her a pampering gift like a reservation at a spa, or a manicure and pedicure.

• Tell her she’s the most beautiful Mum in the world (sounds cheesy and she might laugh at you but she will feel happy).

• Frame the first picture of you and her together and gift that to her.

• Send her a handmade Mother’s Day card

• Make a scrapbook with pictures of the both of you from childhood. Attach special notes next to the snaps and tell her what you remember looking at those pictures.

Life is all about making good, wonderful memories. Make this Mother’s Day a really special memory for you, and especially her.