Shiralie Chaturvedi
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Mother’s Day is here. Like every second Sunday of May, it comes during balmy days, or pleasant days if you look at a worldwide approach and you decide to spoil your mum, rotten. Whether it is buying flowers, taking her for a spa day, or to her favourite restaurant, or making sure no work-calls are attended by her; even if you do try every Sunday to pamper her, this Sunday is always a bit more special. So, is it still special when you are in lockdown? Either with your mum or without. How do you make your mum do things when she can’t leave her home, or meet visitors, and has been working a double, triple, quadruple shift because even the house helps are isolating on their own! So, what is it that you can do to make sure your mum feels special, and recognised without the paraphernalia of overt gestures? We try to help you out!
1. Let her sleep in: Your mother deserves to sleep in everyday to be honest, but this particular day, don’t have her wake up to tend to the plants, or the cleaning, or the tea, or the cooking. Get up early, do what she would do, and let her wake up relaxed and rested!
2. Breakfast in bed: Cliche, but works! Nothing says “comfortable” than seeing a tray full of tea, coffee, juice, eggs, fruits, and maybe a small flower bud from your garden atop a tray while your mum is still in bed! Don’t go overboard, its okay even if you can just whip up some toasts, so long you provide her a Sunday breakfast and not the other way around!
3. Make a DIY flower bouquet or jewellery: The above mentioned garden – whether a full blown one or a terrace one or something indoor – pick up some flowers (she will love that you have a green thumb) and make a DIY bouquet with strewn ribbons, or a make-shift vase! Or just pick up old beads, old jewellery pieces and make something new and inventive!
4. Take over some chores: You can’t really take over your mom’s professional work but you can take over her share of household work. You should know her routine by now, so just take over that shift! However if she doesn’t trust you enough with that, take up the chore of actively pampering her! Roll up those sleeves, get those pumice stones out, nail paints out and give her a mani-pedi!
5. Give her a voucher of an online seminar / e-learning / streaming service: Especially if you aren’t with her physically…this is going to really help you! Whether it is to watch her favourite shows or movies, or it is for her to learn something she always wanted to, or attend a talk or a workout video or read a book online – whatever it is, give it to her. She is possibly going stir crazy much like everyone else, and she needs a breather.
6. Marie Kondo her room: Well, understandably children can’t be better cleaners and organisers than their mums but give it a shot. Try to ask her if there is a cupboard she needs organised, or a drawer full of her important documents, or her bookshelf – tell her you will do that for her, so she has a space that literally sparks joy and isn’t terrible to manoeuver through!
7. Host an online party and invite her favourite people: Granted this isn’t as inventive, but everyone is super emotional and in need of being in touch with their loved ones, so do this for her. Invite your family, her friends, your friends, cousins, and host a virtual birthday party!
8. Do a Mother’s Day portrait: Make her dress up and do a portrait of her, whether through taking a picture, or sketching, or painting – show her how she looks in your eyes, and tell her she is worth more than the whole world combined!
9. Play her favourite music: Even more than shows and movies, moms love music – whether it is classical, or soft rock, or jazz, or ghazals – do an evening concert for her, full of songs that remind her of her childhood, or special moments, or just the idea of enjoying her own company!
10. Leave her just a bit alone: Speaking of own company, give her that. Give her time-out, stop with your incessant dramatic problems, and your demands – and let her be. That’s literally the best you can do for her, so she can centre her thoughts and enjoy her day!
Most importantly, make the most of your time with your mom – because its a great opportunity to know the most favourite lady of your life!
