10 Ways to Tell a Beautiful, Nurturing Woman Happy Mother’s Day

This post is sponsored by Hallmark Signature.

I spent half the morning today running from craft store to craft store to gather needed items for this big wonderful idea I had for a Mother’s Day gift to make with Lainey’s classroom (“But Mom!” Lainey said, “I can’t give it to you if you’re the one who helped us make it.”). It’s the one holiday of the year where school crafts shine and go right for the emotional jugular–make ’em cry. The cotton ball snowman winter craft and My First Alphabet Book may be shoved to the back of the school project archives drawer, but the Mother’s Day handprint poem? It’s framed and hung for all to see.

Even the lady who cut my fabric this morning admitted her son’s first grade drawing and accompanying Mother’s Day poem was her favorite gift. “It’s hanging in my sewing room, and he’s 22 now!”

It’s an emotional one, this holiday. Nothing brings out all the feels like the word mother. Our love of one, our lack of one, our dream to be one, our everyday job of showing up as one, our memories of one.

If there’s any holiday to take the time to honor the people affected by a simple salutation–“Happy Mother’s Day”–it’s this one. I’ll get the pipe cleaner crafts and poems that make me cry from my own kids, and I’ll pass on my love to the mamas in my family without a second thought, but there are several other people in my life who’d especially appreciate some extra love on this day.

Because the whole motherhood journey is messy and beautiful and hard and is rooted in the deepest love we have–the kind that hits nerves we didn’t know existed, this holiday expands to so many categories. Women who lost a mom. Women who want to be a mom but are struggling to get there. Women who lost a child. Women who have moms but never hear from them. Women who have children but never hear from them. Women who don’t have children but nurture everyone else around them. Women who help us be better moms. Women who love our kids like their own. Women who work really hard as single moms and don’t have significant others to help the kids say “Happy Mother’s Day.”

I try to recognize these moms I know on Mother’s Day and love finding simple ways to do so.

Writing’s my love language, so I write cards.

And because cards that are personalized with real handwriting and good ol’ ink-penned words are my favorite, I like to find cards that are aesthetically beautiful, unique but simple on the inside so I can add my own stuff. (“I just like to add two words,” Brett says: “Love, Brett.”)

This year’s cards are Hallmark Signature–beautiful little works of art with simple love notes inside that leave room for your own more-than-two-words touch.

Want to make a beautiful, nurturing woman you know feel seen and loved on Mother’s Day but don’t know what to say? Here are 10 things you can add to your card this year to make an already beautiful card more meaningful. 

1. Thinking of you every day but especially today. Redeem this card when you want to vent/cry/talk/dream/hope, and I will meet you for a beer and listen/laugh/support/not-give-any-advice. Also, I will pay for the beers.

2. I skipped the cards with all the Mother’s Day poems and picked this simple one to say…Hi. I see you today. And I love you. This is my quiet hug.

3. Pretend this is a macaroni necklace that I made for you out of glue and yarn. I think that’s what you’re supposed to give a woman who loves and nurtures and shows up…and that’s exactly what you do for me.

4. You know how I know you’re going to be an amazing mom someday? Because you’re already amazing, and that’s all it takes.

5. Since I only made World’s Okayest Mom this year, my kids need lots of love to fill in the gaps where I can’t keep it together. Thank you for filling those gaps and loving my kids so much. I share this holiday with you.

6. Sometimes you give me really good advice and I don’t listen. I think that might be the definition of a mother/daughter relationship, so even though you’re not technically my mother…I love you like you are.

7. You’ve picked up the phone when I called approximately 137 times this year. That makes you my mother in some way. So hey…thank you.

8. I drew this picture of a dancing cat to put more “Happy” in “Happy Mother’s Day.” I know today isn’t always easy…but look–dancing cat! I love you…and I got your back today.

9. You make me feel like the best version of myself when I’m with you, and any woman who can do that deserves a Happy Mother’s Day.

10. Just wanted you to know…I watch you with your kids when you don’t know it, and I think the way you love them is magic. I’d like to add, I’m not watching in the creeper way.

I love that there are so many ways to celebrate and honor the journey of motherhood, and any holiday that’s dedicated to making someone feel seen and loved and appreciated is fine by me (alright, who am I kidding–ALL the holidays are more than fine by me).

Because there are no ordinary moms, celebrate them with #NoOrdinary card. Hallmark Signature cards are available in the card aisle, wherever cards are sold.