Mummy's Day doesn't have to be about spending money

I've been thinking about Mother's Day. As a new mother myself, the key ingredient of this day, for me, is feeling appreciated. We were musing about what to get our mother this Sunday. I said out loud 'what would be the best present we could give to Mum?' and someone very perceptively replied 'go to church with her'. Now the church issue has long been a colourful one on our family. Mum's a born-again Christian and my father was a staunch atheist (what ever that means these days). Being closer to my father I was raised to be an atheist too. So as soon as this innocent suggestion was made I felt my old defences rise and I automatically began to shun the idea. On second thoughts though, I realised what it would mean to Mum, and how easy and possibly quite interesting it could be for me. There was even the chance, I realised, that I might even come away feeling quite inspired. So, my little sister and I are accompanying Mum to church this Sunday. We've already announced our intentions and my mother was suitably impressed. She was lost-for-words impressed, and excited - holding her breath with anticipation excited. Just goes to show, when we really think about what would make our loved one's happy, even the simplest actions, acts that don't mean much to us, can mean the world to them. And they don't need to cost us a cent.