My own mother taught me that it’s inappropriate ever to buy a store-bought card because it’s cheap and trashy not to write your own sentiments on your own stationery. My ILs think a store-bought card is truly the way you show the most love. Fun times.
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My birthday often happens to fall on Mother’s Day so it’s always been weird. When I was little I wanted to celebrate my mom and also we were celebrating me. Now I still have my mom, but I also don’t want my husband and sons to forget about me. I care about birthdays, a lot, and I want people to remember mine. But to make sure that happens, I often have to do all the work to remind them to remember me. It’s not great. The worst, WORST, was that my husband forgot both the year that my 30th birthday fell on my first able to celebrate mother’s day (the previous year we had a three week old who was back in the hospital and we did nothing that year). Seriously. 30th birthday, on Mother’s Day, and no acknowledgement, at all. I will never forget waiting all day to at least hear “happy birthday and or mother’s day” and nothing. And after the god-awful year I’d had with a very challenging newborn, I was so upset. That was 21 years ago and still…
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My father always hand wrote notes on a store bought card. People use to comment about the lovely sentiments my father sent them. After he passed away, I was cleaning out his desk. Along with many already purchased greeting cards, was a purchased book of greetings-birthday, anniversary, condolences, etc.. Dad had been using these for his notes; several pages was marked with post-it-notes! 
Dad was also known for his “sorry you are dead” card. These were his condolence card and note to the family. My husband, who was a big personal note writer, on his own stationary, took after my dad in sending these notes; the only difference was he didn’t use a book to cheat!
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I like reading the honesty on this thread. This day or other special days really mean a lot to many people. For some it’s a reminder of a mother they no longer have here to celebrate or maybe a child lost. 
All feelings legitimate.
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My birthday and my one kid’s also fall on Mother’s Day sometimes. I think this is one of the reasons I have so little patience around it.
The first Mother’s Day after my granddaughter was born, I sent a MD card to my DIL and thanked her for making me a grandma!
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I am not one to enjoy being the center of attention, even within our nuclear family. I also don’t like holidays which force obligations. That is how I felt with my own Mom on Mother’s Day. Were the flowers nice enough?
My kids are so great to understand this. Without it being a big production, they honor me on some day in May with something I like to do. It needn’t be exciting, sometimes a hike or a swim in the ocean, maybe getting a coffee and walking through a plant nursery. But it is special to me because they made the effort to plan something and be there with me. I’m lucky to have such cool and thoughtful kids!
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At mahjong yesterday, no one seemed to have any plans. Most of us have children who are out of town. Many have grandchildren who are in high school and college, the grandchildren are busy with sports and graduations. No one seemed upset about not having plans. It’s a busy time of year.
For levity’s sake, I have to laugh that every restaurant casual or fancy has a Mother’s Day buffet.
Our golf course, which barely serves food, keeps advertising theirs. The local bowling alley is having a Mother’s Day buffet. The local Chinese restaurant I’m sure will be busy, they have a buffet every Sunday.
As I told my husband, nothing says Mother’s Day like the buffet at the bowling alley!
Last year we went to a nice Italian restaurant for their buffet. It was nice but so expensive, I don’t like buffets that much. We spent way too much for lunch!
The husband isn’t making plans to go to his mother’s which is fine by me. If it’s not 40 degrees, maybe we will golf and go out to eat at somewhere that’s not a buffet!
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This is exactly what I was thinking when I read this! 
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Hey, if Tractor Supply, Harbor Freight, et al can promote “bring your mom in” events on Mother’s Day, the buffet at the bowling alley sounds downright deluxe!
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As expected, my siblings expected me to plan Mother’s Day.
I was too busy trying to figure it out for my children. My children celebrate my Mother’s Day because when they were young they created these crafts that mommy and daddy were supposed to wear.
You would see their little beaming eyes when they presented their Mother’s Day craft as a gift and I didn’t have the heart to tell them I didn’t want to wear they’re tacky crafts from their classroom.
But we did. And now, they remember that we wore every crown that was made for me and my husband; he wore every paper tie that was made for him. So they recall that we wore these all day long, and praised them for their efforts.
But as you can guess, with my history of having to do every holiday and event at my house, I decided to wait for my siblings to plan it. It didn’t happen, so we planned our own with my children.
Now, the siblings are frustrated because there are no plans for them.
My children are taking me to the all-you-can eat Brazilian steakhouse for lunch, on Saturday. I’m good with that. I’d be even better if I could go to the buffet at the bowling alley!
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I have firmly said “no gifts” to my family. So much money has been wasted over the years giving me things I really don’t want. Actually, make that “no material gifts”.
From my oldest, I said if he wants to do anything, he should write me a letter telling me what I mean to him. For the next son, I asked that he come with me to my next backgammon group – this is something I really want! Still thinking on the youngest son.
My mother is still alive and in Memory Care. She will not really understand the significance of the day. I am bringing her a big card that I will put up on her wall tomorrow. I won’t be there on Sunday. I have gone to the facility for every other holiday (Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc) and my estranged brother can go, or not.
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I’m not a fan of these holidays. After you’re a kid, it just feels obligatory. I’m sure my adult children now feel that.
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Well I actually have a plan for Mother’s Day. D, her close friend and I want to see The Devil Wears Prada 2 this weekend and the only day/ time that works for all 3 of us is Sunday afternoon. We will see the matinee at the theater near my house ( it has a full bar, cocktails may be involved) then join SIL and the grands at my house for dinner ( likely pizza delivery). That will be fun.
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Best plan ever! Definitely enjoy a cocktail with the movie!
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I want to see the movie. It’s got a good review. I loved the first one.
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This was classic. I got an email yesterday from the service department at my car dealership suggesting a gift certificate for car service. Let’s just say…no!
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Wonder who suggested that idea. 
. As bad as the gift certificate H gave me one year for a gift that was to buy mulch. 
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Well @thumper1, that just sounds heavenly!
Why would you not take them up on it? Think about it: you get to have an overpriced car service-flush out that brake fluid. Along with the buffet at the bowling alley, you couldn’t ask for anything better!
A husband’s dream!
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Let’s see if everyone can see these if desired. Didn’t give me the option of gifting the article.
I love breakfast/brunch and would love just about any of these items. If you have someone who will cook for you, tell them what you’d like!
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