Today is the big day. As we spend time celebrating Mother’s Day and reflecting on what our moms mean to us, I thought it’d be fitting (and fun) to look at 10 quotes that perfectly express the love and gratitude we are all feeling today. From Abraham Lincoln to Stevie Wonder, there are definitely some gems here.
Once you’re done with the day’s celebratory meals, coffee, wine, gifts, and laughs, share these powerful words of wisdom with your favorite woman in the entire world:
1. “God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.” – Jewish proverb
2. “A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dates all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path.” – Agatha Christie
3. “I will look after you and I will look after anybody you say needs to be looked after, any way you say. I am here. I brought my whole self to you. I am your mother.” – Maya Angelou
5. “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln
6. “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – unknown
7. “A father may turn his back on his child, brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies, husbands may desert their wives, wives their husbands. But a mother’s love endures through all.” – Washington Irving
Much like our favorite songs, mothers inspire us and are always there to provide comfort. With that in mind, I’ve gathered eight songs that represent the sweetest elements of motherhood. Mother’s Day is right around the corner, so feel free to share this playlist with your favorite person in the world: mom.
1. “What I Never Knew I Always Wanted” by Carrie Underwood
This touching ballad finds Underwood paying tribute to her husband Mike and son Isaiah. With lyrics like “Never pictured myself singing lullabies / Sitting in a rocking chair in the middle of the night / In the quiet, in the dark / You’re stealing every bit of my heart with your daddy’s eyes,” “What I Never Knew I Always Wanted” is a wonderful ode to motherhood.
2. “This Angel” by Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles wrote “This Angel” following the birth of her child. It is a testament to the enriching and transformative experience of becoming a mother.
3. “In My Daughter’s Eyes” by Martina McBride
Martina McBride’s “In My Daughter’s Eyes” is an exceptionally poignant song. In it, she describes the world as it is seen through her daughter’s eyes. Best of all, McBride then expresses her desire to see things exactly how her daughter does.
4. “Lullaby for Wyatt” by Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow’s tender “Lullaby for Wyatt” is dedicated to her son, whom she adopted in 2007.
5. “Gabriel and Me” by Joan Baez
Folk singer Joan Baez wrote “Gabriel and Me” when her son was little. Today, he is all grown up and playing drums with his mom’s band. Such is the mother-child bond that can form through music.
6. “To Zion” by Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill’s “To Zion” is definitely the most controversial song on this list. It is about Hill’s decision to have her son despite the urging of her music industry peers to have an abortion. Hill’s decision speaks to the complexity – and the joy – of motherhood.
7. “Lullaby” by The Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks wrote the ultimate sleepy time song with their sugary sweet “Lullaby.” The lyrics are incredibly touching, asking every mom’s favorite questions, “How long do you wanna be loved? Is forever enough?”
8. “I Hope You Dance” by Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack’s hit “I Hope You Dance” was written by Tia Sillers and Mark Sanders. When Womack heard it, she immediately knew her experience as a mother would allow her to make it entirely her own: “The song made me think about my daughters and the different times in their lives. As a parent, you just hope those are the kinds of things you will make your children think of.”
With us now just under two weeks away from this year’s Mother’s Day (May 14), it is the perfect time to begin pondering creative new gift ideas for our favorite person in the entire world. After all, a sign of truly caring for someone the way we care for mom is giving them a thoughtful gift.
The truth is that selecting the perfect gift for someone you love can be a stressful task – especially if it’s the woman who lovingly raised you. Finding a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift that shows what she means to you while also being something that you know she’ll love might seem like a tall order, but it’s more doable than you think. Plus, one of the great things about moms is that you can pretty much guarantee they’re going to love whatever gifts you give them.
Whether she loves to squeeze in an early morning workout or spend the afternoon curled up with a good book, there is definitely a thoughtful gift out there just waiting for your mom’s unique personality. The best part is that you don’t really have to spend a fortune to show your mother how much you care.
With prices ranging from $10 to $100, you can easily find the perfect gift to celebrate the woman who changed your diapers, taught you to read, and hauled you and your friends all around town before you could drive on your own. Here are 5 thoughtful gift ideas guaranteed to make Mom happy on her special day.
1. For the chef at heart
Rather than taking your chances by buying a kitchen gadget that your mom may or may not want or need, you should sign the two of you up for a cooking class. You are often able to choose between a demonstration class in which the chef does all the cooking and a hands-on class that is pretty much all you. Either way, every time she makes that very special meal, she’ll think of you and the quality time you spent together.
2. For the bookworm
If your mom is like mine, she loves nothing more than diving into a good book. With countless genres of books by a plethora of acclaimed authors, a subscription to Book of the Month just might be the perfect gift for your favorite bookworm. Subscriptions are now more affordable than ever before, with prices ranging from $45 for three months to $144 for a year. If you want to invest in spending more time together, you could also buy the same books for yourself for the purpose of starting a mini book club.
3. For the fitness guru
It seems that everyone nowadays is obsessed with physical fitness, and moms are no exception. Help your mom pursue a healthier and happier life by buying her a fitness gift card that will encourage her to engage in her tried and true exercises or venture into a new method of getting healthy. Fitness options abound, with yoga and meditation classes currently all the rage. If you have a higher budget, perhaps finding your mother her own personal trainer is the best idea.
4. For the wine connoisseur
I’m not 100% sure, but I think it’s pretty much a universal thing that moms love wine. After all, they had to deal with us as kids, right? Whether she likes red or white, you might be shocked at how much she will appreciate you buying her a bottle of her favorite wine. Not only can you buy her a bottle of wine, but you can also take things to the next level by combining her favorite wine with a set of simple wine glasses and a few carefully selected food items.
5. For the green thumb
When I think of gorgeous green gardens, I think of moms. Some of my earliest memories are of my mother planting flowers, fruits, and vegetables. I miss those days. Luckily, there are a ton of options for those moms who own a green thumb. A gardener’s apron, rolling garden seat, or garden clogs are just some of the thoughtful gift ideas for those mothers who find peace and pleasure in their garden.
New EPK video!
I’ve just wrapped up my new EPK (electronic press kit) and I hope you enjoy it! It’s all about my story and the music on my new CD, Movin’ On.
Eileen
May is Mom’s Month
I’m excited to be launching The Music Mom blog in (what’s left of…) the month of May. Mom’s month!
It’s good to see that Mother’s Day is becoming more eventful than the perfunctory afternoon brunch. Here are some of the more interesting Mother’s Day promotions I came across this year.
Show us your ink. 
Well, for starters, KFC did something different for moms. Their special Mother’s Day promotion awarded a $10 gift card for free food to persons who sent in photos of their “mom tattoo.” No ink yet? No problem. They even provided a temporary tatoo cutout on their site so everyone could play.
Speed up your mom. 
If tattoos aren’t your thing, there was the special offer on Brain Fitness software from the folks at Posit Science. I love this quote from their site: “Give your mom a gift that can improve her memory, enhance her ability to focus, and speed up her thinking.” Nice!!
Mothers with loud guitars. But it’s the Rockin’ Moms in San Jose who got it right this year with their Mother’s Day Celebration concert at the Landmark Ballroom. The show featured Rockin’ Moms founder Tiffany Petrossi’s band and a half dozen other musical mothers doing their thing. They even had belly dancers. The event got a ton of press and appears to have been a big hit, so rock on to the Rockin’ Moms!
If you haven’t checked out the Rockin’ Moms site, by the way, definitely do that! They’re even sponsoring a songwriting competition with $5,000 in cash and prizes, including a Daisy Rock electric guitar.
Whatever YOU did this Mother’s Day, I hope it was a good one and that you enjoy the rest of OUR month!
Eileen
The Music Mom: Eileen Carey 