Mother’s Day in theory is a lovely idea, but it is also one of those holidays that just creeps up all of a sudden. It’s less than a week away and I’m sure the portion of you who have already realized this are in a frenzy over what to get. The standard Mother’s Day presents are usually bath salts, a coupon book of things you promise to do for her, a Bath and Body Works lotion basket, or flowers.

I’ve always found Mother’s Day interesting because it’s as if we expect our Mothers to forgive us for the other 364 days in their year that we may disappoint them. So, to thank her for giving birth us and enduring stretch marks and labor pains we give her bath salts that she will never find time to use, a coupon book of things that we will never get around to doing, a lotion basket that looks exactly like the one she got for her birthday, and flowers with a mundane message that will die within a week. It looks to me that mothers get a lousy deal out of this holiday because for one day we pretend it doesn’t annoy us when they give us advice (that wasn’t asked for) about our personal lives, or when they tell us to wash the dishes (even though none of them are ours). After that, we go back to ignoring their needs.

What exactly is it that mothers need if they don’t need bath salts, coupon books, lotion baskets, or flowers?

Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. What mothers really want for Mother’s Day is to know that you appreciate them. What they really want is some of your time.

So, what are my Mother’s Day plans? As far as children go my mother has got it made. I never went through an angsty teenager stage or have been much of a troublemaker. I would say that we have a great relationship. This weekend I plan on taking her to the movies and paying for it myself. Not for Mother’s Day, just because we both have a day off from work.  Nothing impresses my mother more than my money( because she knows I barely make any) and my time. But, just so she won’t feel left out (she won’t), I’ll send her a Mother’s Day e-card. Flowers may die, but memories and e-cards last forever.