A Mother's Day to Remember

The second Sunday in May is a day I look forward to. Not just as a mother, but as a daughter. I love to make my mother feel special on this day by making it truly memorable. The last few years we have had a ritual of sorts. First, I plan and cook a meal, usually something easy and portable. Some favorites are a quiche or some roast beef sandwiches with herbed butter, along with an assortment of tasty crackers and a piece of nice cheese to nibble on. Drinks usually include a fizzy lemonade soda from World Market or sparkling apple cider. And dessert is a must! I have made rosemary lemon cupcakes, homemade brownies or my mother’s favorite German chocolate cake.

I carefully pack the items, along with a complement of fine china, silverware and linen napkins, into a lined wicker picnic basket.

I then drive to her house, pick her up, and we usually end up at Powell Gardens or the Overland Park Arboretum. At our destination, we savor a meal prepared with love and spend several hours admiring the beauty that surrounds us.

I began this tradition when my youngest was just 7 months old and have continued it through the years, although there have been a few hiccups. Rain has forced us to eat in the car on occasion!

That first year I also gave my mom a blank journal filled with sayings about children, along with photographs of my youngest child’s first six months.

Another gift that I enjoy sharing—and relish myself—is a particularly lovely scented variety of bearded iris that begins to bloom in my yard the week before Mother’s Day.

The gift of time spent with our mothers and the handmade gifts we create in the kitchen and out—these are memories in the making. I always have found these tokens and times to be far more memorable than the gift of perfunctory flower delivery.

This Mother’s Day, consider taking your favorite mom out to a local arboretum or park for a fancy picnic. You could even include some rosemary lemon cupcakes. Whatever you do, give your favorite mom a Mother’s Day to remember!

Christine Shuck lives in Historic Northeast Kansas City with her husband and youngest daughter in an 1893 Victorian. She keeps chickens, gardens organically, and teaches community education classes throughout the KC Metro.