Mother's Day Gifts that Cost Nothing

Like any holiday, Mother's Day is not only about giving or receiving gifts. Ultimately, Mother's Day is about showing gratitude and appreciation toward the woman who raised you. Mothering isn't easy, and chances are, the woman you wish to honor for Mother's Day didn't do all that work for honor or glory, or even for the possibility of gifts in the future. So what does a mother want on her special day? Simple offerings of love and respect.

This Mother's Day, consider giving...

Your Time

Whether an hour, an afternoon, or an entire weekend, set aside time marked especially for your mother this Mother's Day. Volunteer to help her around the house. Be her driver for the day. Go for a walk together. Or simply hang around to talk and visit. If you normally don't get to spend much time with your mother, the gift of your time can be the most precious of all.

Your Voice

Contrary to popular belief, mothers are not mind readers. If you love her, tell her. If you are so grateful to her for supporting your career choice, tell her. If she was the only one to know a secret of yours, and she kept it, tell her how important that was to you. Tell her you remember the cups of hot chocolate on snowy days, the nights she sat up with you when you had the flu, how grateful you are she wouldn't let you quit piano lessons. You want to show gratitude to your mother this Mother's Day? Then tell her how grateful you are for the time and effort she spent raising you. She will treasure those words more than any store-bought gift.

Your Creativity

Remember when you were a kid, and all your gifts were homemade? Homemade gifts are anything but childish, and now that you're older, you can really put forth all your talent into a one-of-a-kind gift for your mother. Cook her favorite lunch. Bake her a cake. Compose a letter, a poem, or a memoir. Write a song and play or sing it for her. Frame a favorite photo of the two of you. Paint a picture. Remember all those pictures that she hung on the fridge when you were a kid? It's been awhile. I bet she'd love another one.

Mothers deserve a day of tribute. And while spa trips, flower arrangements, and fancy dinners will certainly do the trick, not all tributes need to involve your wallet. A tribute is a compliment, an acknowledgment, and that is within anyone's means.