No gift’s just time.
It hit home last week when my 20 year old daughter asked me what I would like as a gift for Mother’s day. “Your company “ I replied, which was met with a dismayed “Oh really?”
“How about you come to church with me as my gift?” I sweetly asked, whilst informing her (shamefully) with an air of authority that in days gone by, girls in service returning to their mother church was one of the founding reasons for Mother’s day. Not a chance will I get her to come to church with me, but with assurances of her attending Sunday lunch, off she went.
I think she was kind of hoping I would ask for a Pandora charm so she could pop to the shops, drop me off a gift and be on her way again. Funny, as I get older (mid forties!) I become more like my own mum, and spending time with those I love is more important to me than anything else.
So, I’m not going to be asking my mum what she would like, I don’t need to. She would like something I can’t just pay for and wrap in a box, something far more valuable and costly. It’s about chatting, and lingering over a coffee, or a long lunch. It’s about my giving my mum the gift of time.