Happy Mother's Day!

DEBORAH CROMBIE: My dear hubby has a thing about not celebrating what he calls "Hallmark

Holidays" which include Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. (However, he has no strenuous objection if someone does something nice for him on Father's Day...)

Fortunately my daughter doesn't share his view. My daughter and I belong to the "any excuse to celebrate" club, as did my mom. The three of us always did something fun or special, even if the last few years for my mom that meant Mother's Day Tea at the nursing home.

This will be our first year without her, but my daughter and I have plans to have a late Sunday lunch/early supper (I'll be flying in from California) at our favorite Mexican restaurant. We are  hoping for good patio weather, and will have guacamole, and shrimp brochette, and Mambo Limos, which are topnotch frozen margaritas with a swirl of Chambord. Husbands are included, even mine, who gets to be designated driver, his reward for being testy.

But I say why not take every opportunity to celebrate those we love--mothers, fathers, sons and daughters, special aunts and uncles and grandparents and friends?

REDS, do you celebrate "Hallmark Holidays?"

 

HALLIE EPHRON: Mother's Day I get flowers from my sweet husband (tulips, please...) and calls from my kids. On Father's Day I cook something special for Jerry (pate, or lobster bisque, or gateau St. Honore...) and HE gets calls from the kids.  

If Hallmark depended on us it would go out of business. My husband draws cards. I get one for Christmas, New Year, Valentine's Day, Groundhog Day, and my birthday. And I've kept every single one he's ever made me. Here's one he did for me on an anniversary... just to give you a taste.

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: I am terrible about Hallmark Holidays. I forget family members' birthdays, I don't celebrate my own anniversary, and I had to look up right now to see that Mother's Day, is, in fact, May 11 (I'm writing this several days ahead, and a good thing, too! I can still send my mom something!) Seriously, internet ordering and overnight shipping are the only things that save me from being a total pariah. I just seem to be missing the part of my brain that says "This date! Be happy now!" Maybe I've got holidaylexia? I also don't decorate for Halloween, Easter or Independence Day.

That being said, I usually send my mother flowers or a flowering plant in Mother's Day, since her condo rules prevent her from doing much of the gardening she used to enjoy. In my household, Ross browbeats the kids into creating handmade cards, which I confess I do cherish. Some flowers from our garden, which is always beautiful this time of year, he makes lunch after church, and we call it good.

RHYS BOWEN: My husband didn't believe in Mother's Day, since it wasn't celebrated in England. He thought it was one of those commercial holidays. When my favorite aunt was still alive she would send the children money for me to celebrate English Mothering Sunday in March. I would be lured out of the house while the kids prepared an excellent tea. It was a lot of fun. Since my kids are now grown they have been very sweet about remembering Mother's Day. In fact Dominic is coming over to cook me a special dinner on Sunday.

And my kids always made handmade cards for everything, Julia. I also have a box of them which I treasure. This is great as John is hopeless about holidays. The day before our anniversary he'll say "Oh, I suppose you want a card?"  How I wished for that fantasy husband who would show up with arms full of roses, strew the bed with rose petals, light candles, play romantic music, whisk me off to Hawaii.... does he exist?

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: We do NOT celebrate the holidays in our house with Hallmark cards, ever. Having the kiddo around certainly makes holidays more fun, so my husband and I have split the difference — he does all the crafts, etc. and I make the food. Divide and conquer! But no Hallmark cards or fancy presents, no. No crazy outlays of money. And I'm perfectly happy with that.

Miss Edna and I are absolutely delighted with our homemade cards on Mother's Day as well as a brunch (where we don't have to do anything but sit and look pretty — the guys will clean and cook). Lemon cake has become a tradition — let's see if the guys whip one up this year.

I don't even buy cards (for any holiday) anymore — do you know the mark-up on a greeting card is 400% Save a tree! Use an e-card! (I like paperlesspost.com.)

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I've said to Jonathan for years--I absolve you of any responsibility for Hallmark holidays. It seems so artificial -- if the commercial universe has to bop you over the head to remind you to tell someone you love them, that's too bad.

And my mother--in this photo, we are at my fifth (or so, what do you think?) birthday (NOT a hallmark holiday, I might add)--used to say: Every day is Mother's Day." I can still hear her saying it!

(And how did you like the punctuation in that sentence?)

DEBS: Oh, my gosh, Hank, that is the most adorable picture! And your mom was gorgeous--we can tell where you get your looks!

I totally agree with your mom, every day is Mother's Day, but I'm still happy for an excuse for a little special time with my lovely daughter. Every year I feel more and more blessed to have been cherished by my mother and my grandmother, and I hope I've given the same gift to my daughter.

Readers, we wish you the best today, however you may spend it.