This weekend we will celebrate Mother's Day in Idaho and around the world. Regardless of where you live, one cannot escape the endless commercials directing you to the perfect gift for your Mom. What is the ideal gift for the one who has given us life, compassion, direction, and unconditional love.

Being a Mom

Being a Mother is all about action as well as words of encouragement. No matter how old we are, we'll always be their kid. When we look at professions, have we ever wondered why someone would want to be a Mother? The job involves long hours, sleepless nights, no pay, and a lot of sacrifices.

I can only speculate based on my own experiences of being a son, husband, stepfather, and grandfather. Moms are either born or made, and there are some bad Moms. Your Mom is the one person who is cheering for you through the good times and the bad.

Selfless

The one person who would give their life for you. Who writes that note of encouragement of belief in your lunch while you're in elementary school. The person who sends you their social security check when you are out of work so you can make it while looking for a job, the one person who says, 'I believe in you when others doubt your ability to win.' Or my personal favorite is the biggest fan of my daily talk show.

Putting kids first

You can always tell the Moms who put their kids first in their lives. They usually drive the older cars, don't wear the latest fashions, and rarely eat out. Their kids and grandkids are the ones that are well-spoken and typically do well in school. They treat their kids like a savings account or a stock; the more they put into their kids, the more society benefits from them.

The working the Mom? How does one handle the crazy responsibilities of the workplace with the challenges of Motherhood? A Mom possesses an incredible amount of courage to leave their kids at childcare while going off to work. I can't imagine the hurt one feels on that first day back to work, trusting friends or strangers with their most treasured gift. An yet, Moms do it every day; their only reward is a hug, a kiss, or a dirty diaper.

Restraint is another word that describes Moms of all shapes, ages, and sizes. I marvel at the composure of Moms during a scream fest or when their child is crying. Moms are always the ones who de-escalate the stress by kissing the tears away. Sleep is a luxury for them, whether it's to help with homework or work that extra shift so their kids will have a better life.

Grandmothers

Let's not forget the Grandmother who comes in off the bench to babysit at a moment's notice. More and more Grandparents are raising their Grandchildren these days. They didn't sign up for it, but they gladly serve their Grandkids who won't realize their acts of kindness for many years.

In a nutshell, that's what Mothers give us, life and the opportunity for a better life than what they've had. What can we give Mothers to honor them on their special day? Flowers, gift cards, jewelry, and other items are a great start.

It begins with you

How about starting with a letter or a speech with the words, "thank you, Mom, for blessing me." Happy Mothers Day, Mom.