Mother’s Day Eve - What I actually Want for Mother’s Day This Year
This year, my house manager is working with my husband to figure out Mother’s Day gifts for me, my mom, and my mother-in-law. Honestly, I could stop writing right here—because just picking out and ordering thoughtful gifts for them feels like a whole gift in and of itself.
The truth is, what I want for Mother’s Day this year isn’t something you can wrap.
I want a long road trip with the windows down and the perfect playlist blasting.
I want a glass of lemonade in one hand and a good book in the other, sitting in absolute silence at the beach.
I want to see Wicked live—by myself—without explaining the plot to my husband or reminding my kids to whisper.
But most of all, I want a night out with my girlfriends, laughing and dancing like there’s no tomorrow.
As moms, I think we’re conditioned to believe that Mother’s Day should be a family-centered event. And while celebrating with my family is sweet, sometimes what I really crave is time—
Time to feel like me again.
Time to feel free, untethered, limitless.
Time without school emails to answer or towering piles of junk mail to sort (where, let’s be honest, maybe one out of a thousand pieces actually matters).
I want to feel wild and free—a beautiful blend of my old self and my new self. Not losing one, just embracing both.
Is that too much to ask?
Okay, yes—on paper, this wish list might seem a little "ethereal" for a spouse trying to plan a gift. But I’ve found a way to make it tangible: Mother’s Day Eve.
Three years ago, I asked myself what I really wanted for Mother’s Day. The answer was something simple that my husband could actually give me:
He handled bedtime while I hosted a gathering of my favorite mom friends the night before Mother’s Day (and let me sleep in the next morning!).
It started as a low-key wine and cheese night in the backyard. It turned into dancing until well past midnight and sleeping in guilt-free the next morning. And honestly? It was my favorite Mother’s Day ever. So, I made it a tradition—and you can, too.
This will be the third year I’m hosting a Mother’s Day Eve party in my community, and I encourage you to create your own version. Make it whatever you want: cozy or fancy, indoors or out, big group or small circle. The point is to spend quality time with your fellow moms without talking about kids, schedules, or potty training.
Just women. Just friends. Just a night to be ourselves again—celebrating who we are in addition to motherhood.
