Have you ever read the book, ‘The 5 Love Languages?’ In case you haven’t, the basic premise is that each of us has a love language that we speak. It’s something that we love doing for other people, and it means the world when another person does it for us. The author makes the case that so many of our own personal conflicts with others stems from not learning to speak the other person’s language.
If you haven’t read the book, I definitely recommend it, but here is my general point. One of the languages he talks about is that of gift-giving. If this is your love language, you feel loved when someone takes the time to give you a gift. You are also probably very thoughtful in showering others with gifts as well. I have a confession to make…this is not my love language. Don’t get me wrong–it makes me feel wonderful when someone surprises me with a gift. Just as often, though, I feel guilty for not having thought of giving them a gift first. I am amazed by all of the truly thoughtful people who put so much time and thought into giving others little bits of joy. It’s something I would love to do better.
If gift-giving is your love language, this post probably won’t mean much to you. You have probably been prepared weeks in advance for any upcoming gift-giving holiday. Again…I wish I were more like you. However, if you are like me, you may be wondering if it is too late to get something if you order today with Amazon Prime. And I am here to offer one small last minute Mothers Day gift idea that may also be appreciated by any mother, perhaps especially those with small children. My suggestion? Time.
Before I was a mother, I’m not sure I appreciated fully how much time could mean to me. Like anyone else, I was always rushing around trying to balance home life and work, but something else changed after I began having kids. I started to become fully wrapped up in the lives of my children. My life no longer was my own. Around the clock, I was at the mercy of my kids…these little humans who needed me at all hours of the day and night. It is the hardest job I have ever had, but also the most rewarding.
But here’s the thing…we can become wrapped up in the lives of our children that we start to lose ourselves a bit as well. I may be a mother now, but I am also still the person that I was before I had children. I am that girl who loves to sit at a coffeeshop, watching the people go by and daydreaming. Wandering the aisles of a library is a tiny slice of heaven for me. I love to go for walks by myself, find a little secluded bench somewhere and journal. I feel so alive when I do these things…it’s as though my batteries get a little recharged. When I return home, I feel more connected to my family, and a little more like myself again. I am lucky to have a husband who recognizes this about me, and encourages me to find a little time for myself. He may also see that I am a better mother and wife when I have time to rediscover me on a regular basis.
Perhaps this Mother’s Day, you find yourself needing a last minute Mothers Day gift idea. Coming from a fellow mom, consider giving her the gift of time. Offering to watch the kids for the day or even just for a couple of hours might mean the world to her….or you could also just hire a cleaning service, haha! That would also work ;-)
Christina Freeman is a wife and mother to 3 little ones who enjoys capturing details of ordinary life from behind the lens. She currently resides in Anna, TX and loves photographing other families, babies and children in Collin County including Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Lucas, Allen, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs.