When you mention something like Mothers or Father's Day, or things like Valentine's Day, people ask...well, why do we need a day to celebrate the people we love. So here we are. You don't need a specific day, you should love and celebrate your parents all year round, but the sad part is there are a lot of people who have good loving parents, but treat them like they are dirt under a fingernail instead of being thankful, loving, respectful of what they have been given, including their own lives.
Even if you aren't "that bad," you don't want to live a life with regrets, where you wish you'd said I love you or thank you to the good people in your life. Of course, family can mean anyone who has taken care of you though I say Mom and Dad, it doesn't have to be just Mom and Dad. Maybe it's your grandfather, or an uncle, or you have two moms and dad's, or you were adopted---each family is different, but that which remains the same, is and should be love.
1. CALL THEM!!!
Most parents don't want their kids to shell out money on expensive gifts for them, but what they do want is for you to call them and say how your day is going, or to tell them about your new job, or face time them with their grandkids. They don't want to have to find out from Facebook how your life is going. They just want an honest to goodness chat with you when you've got some free time and not because they called you first or they had to beg you, but just randomly sometimes, just because.
2. Surprise Them
Show up sometime at their job or house, or with a more elaborate plan where you unexpectedly drive or fly in to see them. Even better than a phone call, is to see you and hug you in person. You may feel you are a grown person, but to your parents, you will always be their kid, and even if you're 20, 30, 40 however old, they still like to see you, hug you, and know that you're alright.
3. Invite them to hang out sometime
Invite your parents out for dinner or make some dinner at your house. Take them to some event they really want to go to like a game or concert. Plan a family reunion or small family vacation. Family time is quality time and places where memories are made no matter how old you both get.
4. Send them a letter
No, like actually sit there and write out a letter, not just an email or a quick Facebook message. Let them know in earnest what they've done for you and how important they've been in your life. Let it be something concrete that they can hold, and know you just didn't copy and paste it hastily into an email. This will be a nice treat for them to read and know that their life lessons on gratitude have not gone to waste.
5. Say I love you
If you don't already, and even if one or both do not say it back, make sure that when you do talk and you do hangout, that you say I love you. You don't want to have any regrets in your life about never having said these words. A lot of people feel that when a parent passes, that they just never said it at all or enough. Don't put yourself in that position. Start now, say it to your kids, to your partner, and to your parents on a regular basis.
What Girls & Guys Said
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That's something I plan on doing when I head off. I love to surprise my dad with banana pudding, one of his favorite treats.
I love banana pudding. What a great way to surprise him.
I visit my mom all of the time, good take!