By Jennifer Blanck, MiCAFE Network Call Center Senior Specialist at Elder Law of Michigan
Mother’s Day is fast approaching, on May 8th this year. This is a day to celebrate the mother’s or maternal figures in our lives. Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia, whose mother had organized women’s groups to promote friendship and health, originated Mother’s Day. On May 12, 1907, she held a memorial service at her late mother’s church. It quickly spread to other states and by 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made it a national holiday.
As a child I remember celebrating Mother’s Day with my mom by making her handmade crafts at school and doing our best to make her feel special. My brother and I would bring her coffee and breakfast in bed, we cleaned and cooked with the help of our dad, and just let mom do whatever she wanted to do that day. Her favorite thing still to this day is playing in her gardens to prepare her yard for the summer ahead, and spending time with her family.
As our mothers age there are still many ways to celebrate them on their special day. Keep her interests in mind, go places and do things she enjoys. It may be as simple as a walk in the park, watching the grandkids run and play, a home cooked meal at a family members house, handmade crafts, or even a bouquet of her favorite flowers. If mom is in a nursing home and unable to leave the facility, taking her outside for a walk or a picnic in the courtyard can be a perfect idea. No matter what you decide to do you can never go wrong by spending quality time with the special mothers in your life.
Jennifer Blanck is a MiCAFE Network Coordinator at Elder Law of Michigan and has been with Elder Law of Michigan since September 2014. As a MiCAFE Network Coordinator, Jennifer helps clients apply for benefits through the Department of Health and Human Services and helps find resources for clients with needs that cannot be met by one of our programs.