I never knew how much Mother’s Day meant until I actually became a mother. A lot of people don’t like the holiday because they say it’s too commercial…and you should be showing your appreciation every day, anyways.  But the truth of the matter is that life gets in the way.  And sometimes you get too busy to tell your mom just how much she is appreciated.  So any day that allows you to slow down and to honor your mother for all that she has done and continues to do is alright in my book.

But just because it’s Mother’s Day, it doesn’t mean that anything goes.  This fact became increasingly evident to me after I became a mother myself. If you are going to celebrate Mother’s day, take some time to make sure you’re doing it out of love and respect and not out of a sense of obligation. Because as mothers we can definitely pickup on your intentions.

Here are a few more things I’ve learned from my own mother and from being a mother about what we would rather have on Mother’s Day.

1.  Quality Time – We’d rather have you visit, than a gift from you.

This means don’t avoid your mother on Mother’s Day because you don’t have a gift.  Your presence is gift enough.  This doesn’t mean we don’t want a gift, but if we had to choose between a gift and an actual visit from you…then we would choose the latter.

2. Consideration – We’d rather not have a gift, than a gift you can’t afford.

This goes for our significant others, as well as the kids.  As mothers, we can’t enjoy any gift that we know is going to cause you problems in the long run (especially if we are going to be the ones that will have to help you solve the problems…like paying your rent or giving you gas money.)

3. Service – We’d rather not cook and clean on Mother’s Day.

Yes, we want the family together to enjoy a good meal and fellowship. We’re family…and that’s what we do on most holidays. But on this day, that is set aside to honor us, we would like to be served a meal or taken out to dinner.

4. Unconditional Love – We’d rather hear your voice…no matter what.

Let’s not pretend that every mother-child relationship is a perfect one.  Sometimes you are in the middle of a disagreement with your mother when Mother’s Day rolls around.  It doesn’t matter.  Pick up the phone and call your mother anyway.  It’s not about calling to apologize or to discuss unresolved issues. It’s about calling to say, you’re my mother and I love you no matter what.

My mother taught me all about this type of unconditional love. She loves me no matter what and she wants to hear from me and know that I’m alright, especially on Mother’s Day.

And now that I am a mother with at least one grown child, I know that I want to hear his voice on Mother’s Day too.  No matter what’s going on between my son and me, no matter if he has a gift for me or not, I just want to hear his voice and to know that he has not forgotten about me on Mother’s Day.

As mothers, we appreciate all of the great ways you choose to express your love and appreciation for us Mother’s Day. But more than anything in the world, we want to hear from you and see you.

Thank you to Hallmark for providing their Mahogany greeting cards that provide such a beautifully authentic way to celebrate African American mothers on this special day.  If you haven’t done so already, please take some time to check the Mahogany Mother’s Day cards and send your mother, your wife, your child’s mother, or a friend one that expresses just how much truly appreciate them.

BMWK – If you’re a mother, please share additional things that you know mother’s would rather have on Mother’s Day. 

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post brought to you by Hallmark. I have partnered with them to spread the word about their Mahogany greeting cards. All opinions and stories are my own.