Moms tell us their most memorable Mother's Day gifts

Mother's Day is this weekend. We're reminding you so you have time to get the card or gift and make sure it's on the way if you're shipping it.

And if you're still not sure what to get your loved one, maybe our listeners can help.

We asked them to tell us about their most memorable Mother's Day gift, and here's what they said:

Kindness goes a long way

Gay Prater in Lake Wales, Fla. has three kids who moved away from home. One Mother's Day, she went out for breakfast and was feeling sorry for herself.

"When the waitress came I asked for the check and she said, 'Oh, the gentleman who was sitting at that table over there — and he had already left, of course — paid your check.' And he was about the age of my children. And it's like, well, you know what? I guess he's missing his mom, just like I'm missing my children."

Lyn Comer in Mount Prospect, Ill., was touched by the words of a coworker one Mother's Day before she became a mother.

"A work colleague knew we were adopting and in a simple act of genuine kindness on the morning of Mother's Day, she sent me a text message wishing me a very happy Mother's Day. Although we wouldn't bring our son home until the following March, her thoughtfulness moved me to tears."

Keep it simple

If you don't have a lot of funds, there's always hiking.

Analisa Allen in Chatham, N.Y. asked for what she calls a "no complaints hike."

"Having my children hike in the woods and not ask, 'When are we going to be home?' made me feel loved. And as my two children grew older, the hikes became longer. And now they have moved from the East Coast to the Rockies. So guess what they do for fun on weekends?"

Barbara Mantler in Baltimore says she received her favorite Mother's Day surprise on a walk with her husband and three children.

"As we were hiking, we happened upon subs and a bottle of prosecco that were hidden in the woods. My husband had gone out earlier to hide the food so that we could have this lovely surprise."

Give the mom in your life a break

Laura Atkins in South Bend, Ind., says she took matters into her own hands after being disappointed for more Mother's Days than she could count.

"I finally decided to start gifting myself Mother's Day do-overs. It's usually a day out with myself or a few friends, but the most fun one I had was going to an amusement park with a friend who was also another disappointed mom. We had a great time."

Amy Hill in Cherry Hill, N.J., says she enjoys her alone time but didn't get a lot of it as a new mom.

"I was given a weekend in Cape May, N.J, all by myself. I walked on the beach, read, journaled, prayed, slept in late, and when I came back home, I was refreshed."

Make a memory

One Mother's Day, Mary Janacek had just gone back to school in Los Angeles, and her mother was in Arkansas.

"I barely had anything to spend on Mother's Day, but I did have a margarita recipe. I went to the store and I got some limes and made fresh margaritas for my mother, packed it up in a thermos and packed the thermos in a box and overnighted it to her. And she called me on Mother's Day after a couple of margaritas and was beyond delighted. Though she passed away almost six years ago, I can still hear her in my head, like those grateful giggles over the phone."

Practical gifts can also work!

And if you're not sure what to get that mother in your life — the answer might be found at a hardware store. Here's Nancy Sage in Charlton, Mass.:

"Years ago, my husband bought me a dolly: not the toy, but the tool. Over the two decades that I have had it, we have put that baby to work in the garden, moving furniture and appliances, stone blocks and other heavy things. When my daughter was little, my husband would even give her rides around the yard."

And if all else fails: there's always chocolate.

The radio version of this story was edited by Barry Gordemer. The digital article was edited by Obed Manuel.
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