How to celebrate all your mom friends this Mother’s Day
Have someone else make the reservations for once
They’re not your mom, technically. And yet somehow, she’s the reason you made your flight, found your phone, and didn’t end up drunk-texting your ex again last weekend. He’s the reason there were snacks, tissues, and Tide pens. They are the human group chat. The keeper of the calendar. The designated driver and designated therapist. And what do we get in return?
Exactly.
So this Mother’s Day, let’s give the mom friends what they really want: to not be in charge for five godforsaken minutes.
And also, these ten things.
Note that I’m intentionally using a mix of pronouns in a (likely imperfect) attempt to be as inclusive as possible, because I strongly believe mothering is not limited to one gender.
This holiday does not exclusively belong to cis women, or people who have the biological ability to give birth. If you disagree, take that TERF energy somewhere else.
Research a restaurant and make the reservation.
Make sure everyone shows up on time — tell them brunch is half an hour earlier than it actually is, if need be.
When the bill comes, do not let them do the math or who owes what. Bonus points if you treat her!
Take pictures of them. So many pictures. Candid pictures. Posed pictures. All of it. Send them to the group chat promptly.
Get them a new, cute yet practical Mary Poppins sized bag so they can carry everyone else’s stuff in style.
Inside the bag, be sure to include all of the staples; refill the stash of stuff they carry around to keep you guys alive. I’m talking sanitizer, gum, cough drops, Advil, band aids, phone charger, tissues, snacks, a new tide go pen, the works. Bonus points if you put it all in a cute little makeup pouch.
A gift card to her favorite coffee shop because Lord knows mom friends run on caffeine.
A coupon book full of things they can redeem at any time like…
“We’ll google it ourselves.”
“No flaking tonight.”
“Someone else carries the emotional baggage and the snacks.”
“No group chat overthink spiral.”
“we’ll drive.”
“No bringing up exes tonight ”
“Someone else will order the uber and rally the troops”
“You get the aux privileges for the whole trip”
“We’ll all answer your ‘What’s your ETA?’ text wirh complete honesty”
Be her therapist for a change. Let her bring a problem for the group to solve, instead of being the one who fixes everything.
Write some good old fashioned cards, or flood the group chat with voice memos about how much you appreciate them.
Tell them that you still think about the time they held your hair in that gross club bathroom. Reminisce about how loved you felt when they dropped everything to comfort you after that breakup with your situationship. Tell her how much you appreciate the little things she does that she probably thinks go unnoticed. Write a list of the ten things you love about her, and how impressed you are by her. Show them that their value is not what they does, but who they are.
