With Mother’s Day just around the corner, people are going out and spending loads of money to make sure their mother feels “appreciated” but is all of this really necessary? We’ve all done it; bought cards, clothes, perfumes, or taken our mom out to a movie and dinner. It is Mother’s Day, after all, so show her you love her by giving gifts and spending quality time together. There is nothing wrong with the notion.

The problem with Mother’s Day is not the designation of a single day to celebrate our mothers, but the fact that more often than not people do not show their mothers how much they value them on a regular basis. When in the last week or two has someone surprised their mom with a gift or a nice meal? It probably happened once, if at all, though many mothers have cooked meals for their families and given them a good amount her time and energy.

Need advice? Go talk to your mom. Hungry? Mom probably made dinner, or at least bought groceries. But when a mother needs something, whom does she go to? We should be more supportive and appreciative because before they were a wife or a mother they were people with needs, wants and interests. When women have children they do not surrender their identity, their lives just change, so be sure to recognize this.

Next time your mother is around, give her a hug and kiss and let her know how much she means to you. Not just on Mother’s Day or her birthday, but any time she does something for you, let her know you appreciate her efforts. And, when the opportunity arises, do something for her too; no doubt she will be grateful.