Mother’s Day is almost here. With you in coronavirus isolation unable to spend a nice leisurely day shopping in her favorite stores for the perfect gift.
Yes, you can do what the news stories are telling you can do; go online and send flowers, send her a gift certificate for her favorite restaurant, if and only if they are doing take-out. You can host a Facetime or Zoom celebration and watch her eat that meal by herself while you raise a glass in her honor. All of these will be, for sure, some sort of a celebration from afar when you cannot be together in person. But there is a warmth missing. What to do?
You can send her a love letter. Maybe even a love letter to accompany some of these other Internet choices if you want to choose some of those options.
I invite you to listen for some hints about writing a knockout Mother’s Day letter because, in my experience, she wants more than to be told she is so special. What she really wants most is pretty much a list of the specifics that make her the best mom. She wants to know that you know she was right in so many ways you may not have realized at the time. She wants to know your best memories of your childhood with her. She wants to know that you plan to carry on forever the values she taught you. Sure, she is so special, but you have to do better than saying only that. For a truly memorable love letter, for a letter than she will keep forever, you have to list the specific reasons she is so special. Your distinct memories are the gift to her. You may be surprised at the two things mothers almost always say on receiving a love letter from a son or daughter.
And, the gift-wrap for this Mother’s Day present? Yes, of course, the envelope itself. There are love stamps galore, there are stickers, or you can draw ribbons and bows, hearts and flowers on the outside. For the price of a 55 cent postage stamp you can send her maybe the best present she has ever received from you. I say this is the bargain of a lifetime and invite you to jump right on it.
