…instead
of just a box of chocolates
For
Mother’s Day this year, give Mom a really special gift---a gift that comes
straight from your heart (instead of just from your wallet). Don’t give her a
box of chocolates…give her a box of memories!
Several years
ago, I decided to tell Mom just how many wonderful memories I had of her and
things we did together or things she did for me while I was growing up. I wrote
short little letters to her and each letter was about a special day or time
that had stuck with me. I wrote about running out into the living room one
Christmas morning and finding a wonderful stuffed doll, dressed in a
blue-flowered pinafore and wearing a little cap from which flowed two black
braids. I immediately named her Heidi, and she was and still is my best friend.
It was only later that I found out that Mom had made her, staying up late at
night to make her after I’d gone to bed.
I wrote
another memory letter to tell Mom how much I enjoyed those Saturday afternoons
that we used to go to a local Flea Market, and wander around, looking for
treasures. Another memory told of how special a treat it was to be taken to
Woolworth’s lunch counter for a BLT and fries.
It didn’t take
me long to come up with several Memory letters.
But then, I
faced the dilemma. What do I do with these? How do I gift wrap them? After
thinking about it, I remembered that Mom’s all-time favorite candy bar is Three
Musketeers. I bought as many candy bars as I had Memory letters. I folded each
Memory letter in half, and wrapped it around a candy bar. Then I tied it with
silver curl ribbon. I put a note in with the gift to let Mom know that she
could enjoy the memories as quickly or as slowly as she liked (and I knew that
she’d freeze the candy bars, since she liked them best frozen).
After she’d
“opened” and read the first memory letter (and eaten the candy bar, of course),
she called me to say it was the best gift she’d ever received.
Of course, you
don’t have to write letters and wrap them around candy bars. You could find
several special photos of you and your Mom, or rummage around in the keepsakes
that you’ve collected over the years to find things that can serve as the basis
for a Memories gift. The important thing here is to think about just what it is
you remember most when you think about your Mom.
Did she knit a
beautiful sweater for you that you love to wear? Then put it on and have your
portrait-photo taken. Put the portrait in a nice frame. When you wrap it,
include a gift certificate to your mother’s favorite craft shop or wherever it
is she buys her yarn.
Does your
mother take care of your children while you work? You can surprise your Mom by
arranging to take a day off work and instead of dropping off the kids at her
place, make other arrangements for your children and then pick her up and spend
the day together with her.
Maybe you
remember having rainy Saturday afternoon tea parties with your Mom. Buy an
inexpensive children’s tea set. Set it up with whatever it was you used to have
for tea parties---and then invite your Mom. When she arrives, have your tea
party and relive a little of your childhood. (And make sure you make or buy
some fun tea party hats---and be Society Queens for a day!)
Jan
K., The Proofer is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. Visit Jan’s Portal (http://www.jansportal.com) for more information
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