Gift Giving Guy

As a child, Mother’s Day meant my older sister and younger brothers making slightly burnt pancakes for Mom’s breakfast. After her breakfast in waterbed, I impertinently asked my mom, “So when is Kid’s Day?”

Her answer was immediate: “Every day is Kid’s Day.”

Mom certainly deserves more than one day out of the year to officially honor her. And this year marks the 100th anniversary of the U.S. founding of Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis organized the first Mother’s Day in Grafton, West Virginia on May 10, 1908.

Today, Mother’s Day is the third most popular holiday for gift-giving, following Christmas and Valentine’s Day. The National Retail Federation estimates that 84.2 percent of Americans celebrate Mother’s Day. Together we will spend $15.8 billion on gifts to thank Mom. And many of us will dine out for brunch or dinner. According to the National Restaurant Association, Mother’s Day is the most popular day of the year for dining, with 38 percent of us celebrating Mom with a restaurant meal.

This year, I joined the 66.9 percent who gave flowers to Mom. I choose an arrangement of irises in purple, yellow, blue and white from ProFlowers.com. And my wife is making a brunch for her parents this morning.

Thanks, Mom!