Motherhood

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new."

- Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh

Motherhood is a constantly evolving thing. It begins when the the mother knows. It's a line on a stick, words from a doctor or, sometimes, just a feeling. The child and mother grow and change together and they wait. Suddenly, it's time. It may be scheduled or a surprise. It can happen quickly or can seem to take forever, and then - in a moment like the blink of an eye - there is the mother and there is the child. No longer joined but at the same time joined forever. The bond between a mother and her child can not be severed by the cutting of the umbilical cord. It transcends distance, time and even death. Her work is never finished. She is constantly there - the child's touchstone and reference point. As they carry on together, the child changes and grows and so does the mother. And while they change, they are still the same ... a mother and her child.

As we get ready to celebrate Mother's Day on Sunday, I began thinking of the stages of motherhood and how each one is the same and at the same time so different! I wanted to share some ideas on gifts for each stage of motherhood:

The Mom-to-Be

The mother waiting for her baby to arrive is filled with anticipation and joy over what is to come. Her thoughts are almost constantly filled with thoughts of the child: what will he look like? will he have my curly hair? will she have my husband's eyes? Consider gifting her a newborn photo session which will allow her to always remember those first precious weeks when her questions were answered.

The New Mother

The new mom is tired. All. The. Time. She might feel dirty and unattractive. She's more often than not wearing a shirt that at one point in the day had baby spit up on it. Talk to Bren about a gift certificate from Blossom to make her feel beautiful again! She deserves a little pampering, and when she feels good about herself, it will give her the energy to make it through the first tiring months of motherhood. Also, consider a gift certificate to her favorite clothing store. Her body has changed drastically and she may need some new items to wear until she fits back into her regular clothes.

The In-The-Trenches Mother

She's a pro. She's moved out of the early stages of motherhood and she's juggling a household, job, and maybe more than one child. She's a master at coordinating schedules, but maybe she hasn't scheduled any time for herself. Send her off to a relaxing day alone. Maybe she would enjoy an afternoon at a spa, or a pedicure, or a lunch by herself and tickets to a chick-flick. If she has children between the ages of one and eighteen - she probably needs peace, quiet and time ALONE.

The Empty-Nest Mother

The kids are gone. The peace and quiet she's always wanted has finally arrived, and now it's "too" quiet. She misses the constant chaos of children in the house. Plan something everyone can do together. Maybe a weekend at the beach, a big dinner with the whole family or a slumber party with all the grandkids. She'll welcome the temporary chaos of having everyone together again.