It’s hard to forget Mothering Sunday when we are surrounded by card shops blaring out messages of love and thanks that we could take home for our mothers for just £2.99.
The cards are getting bigger, the flowers pricier and the cuddly toys, which seem to mystically disappear from home the day after Mothers Day, tackier.
It seems that the message the shops try to convey is that the grander the gift, the grander the gratitude towards your Mother.
I’m afraid that this year I, Stacey Collins, have fallen into the ‘grand gesture’ trap. With an experience not dissimilar to the sirens of the sea and the sailors, I was lured into financial death by one particular card shop selling a card the size of my house (not actual measurements). Whilst my mind thought it a novelty, my bank balance had to disagree.
What happened to those days when a homemade bracelet or a card cut out of scrap paper would suffice?
These impulse buys could be linked to capitalism, consumerism and commercialism where money is associated with happiness and class. My consumption habits certainly reflect these views at times and can bring with them a sense of satisfaction.
However, whilst society tells us that in order to feel good we should purchase the latest item, either for ourselves, or as a gift, I am sure nostalgia is not the only reason I feel good when thinking back to the homemade items I used to create.
Maybe this year we should contemplate opening that dusty drawer full of beads and old cook books and show our appreciation to our mothers by presenting her with something made from the heart?
So how will you show your gratitude this Mothers Day?
Whether it be breakfast in bed, a bunch of daisies (as the extreme cold weather has caused a 50% shortage of daffodils this year), or a photo collage, I am sure if you are slightly short of money this week, you will be very keen to try out this home-produced present proposal.
Whatever you decide to do, I hope this article has provided you with some ideas. The next idea I hope to propose is a Children’s Day.
Stacey Collins
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