If you are like me, your favorite Mother’s Day pastime is quality time with your family– which definitely includes brunch and being out. We usually go to my favorite brunch spot and then spend the afternoon exploring East Lansing which is capped off with an ice cream treat. This year is different for us mamas, though. There will be no outings and likely not anything we are used to. In fact, times have been tough for a lot of our mom friends. We are managing mommyhood and work while trying to keep our family sane. For this reason, we need to look out for one another. This may not be the Mother’s Day we were hoping for, which is why we need to take care of our fellow mom friends, because everyone is on the struggle bus.
Words are Everything
Is your mom BFF a words of affirmation gal? Get those word juices flowing and send her a card. If writing isn’t your gig, even just a simple, “You’ve got this, and I am thinking of you,” will mean a ton. If you are a Miss Lyricist, go the old fashioned route and write her a letter. This letter can be motivating, heartfelt, funny, or whatever else you think your gal will enjoy, but just knowing you are thinking of her is going to feel good. If you really want to go big, you could always make a giant sign and surprise her in front of the homestead. I’m pretty sure I would ugly cry if I saw one of my mom friends standing outside my house with a sign giving me all the feels.
Gifts from the Heart
Is your gal pal fantastic at giving you the most amazing gifts? Her love language is likely gift giving. Try doing for her what she has done for you all these years. Think of special things you can order and send in a care package such as favorite movies, inside jokes, treats, etc. She will love the energy and thoughtfulness. Another idea is to do a surprise door drop off with a care package. Put some relaxing essential oils, bath bombs, and a good book in a basket and send it her way. She needs this encouragement to relax. Maybe your BFF needs to get out; try sending her a gift card to her favorite local eatery and encourage her to get take-out. The drive and good eats will do her some good.
Quality Time
I’m sure many of you think this one makes no sense with social distancing being our new thing, but I challenge you to make this work. I have seen many ladies running together while maintaining six feet distance. They talk and laugh all while running and look extremely fulfilled. If running isn’t your thing, you can always go for a walk too. There are ways to be safe but still spend quality time together. Another favorite I have seen are driveway chats. Pull up those lawn chairs, get some wine, and move those seats safely away from one another. You can still get the human interaction you crave while being safe. If this all seems too risky, you can always FaceTime, Zoom, or have a fun game night with House Party. Your mom friends who need that well spent time will appreciate this.
Helping Hands
If your bestie appreciates acts of service more than anything, you can still pull through. Hire someone to do the yard work she hasn’t been able to get to. Make a meal and drop it off at the door. Do an outdoor project like working on her garden. Get her grocery list and order her groceries for her. A lot of our mom friends are extremely overwhelmed and taking the initiative to get some items off her list will be everything to her.
By now I am sure you realize I have been utilizing the 5 Love Languages so that you are taking care of your fellow mom friends with their language in mind. Our dear friends who need physical touch will have to wait a little longer, but as soon as we can, we need to give them the biggest hug ever. Let’s face it, we all could use that. Being a mom has never been harder than it is right now and every single one of us is struggling in some way. Go beyond yourself and do something for one of your mom friends in need. Knowing you are on their side may be exactly what they need to get through this.
