Conversations On Love: Mother’s Day on The Hill

To Douglas Wardlaw, a junior at Hopkins, Mother’s Day is the most important day of the year. He said, “If I were listing the most important holidays, it would be Mother’s Day up top, then Christmas and the others.” For him, Mother’s Day is not only the most important day of the year, but his favorite. Wardlaw explained, “It’s the love and energy felt when I’m celebrating with my family that I enjoy most.” Many kids move through the motions on Mother’s Day, doing what they are instructed to do by fathers or older siblings, but Wardlaw doesn’t. He embraces the mood and uses the day to enjoy time with his family. Wardlaw stated, “I tend to get really into it and lose myself in the celebration, just having fun with everyone.”

Angela Wardlaw, his mother and Associate Director of Admissions at Hopkins, described her joy at seeing her family’s appreciation when she said, “I always wake up to sappy cards, flowers, and balloons, and I cry every time.” 

Arman Mitra, class of 2016, approaches the holiday with a similar mindset, letting his mother know how much she means to him. He said, “My mother brought me into this world, so the least I can do is spoil her with lunch out to show how much I appreciate her.” To Mitra, the day is about giving back to his mother to show how much she helps him. However, he does not believe that there is enough time to adequately express his appreciation for his mother, saying that one day is not enough for the amount of work our moms do for us. Mitra said,  “I think there should be a whole Mother’s Month.”

For most kids, Mother’s Day is a way for them to show appreciation for their mothers and how much they sacrifice on a daily basis.“I tell my mother how much she means to me much less than I’d like to admit,” said freshman Sana Patel.  Patel went further explaining, “I love Mother’s Day because it gives me a chance to devote quality time to my mom and show her how much I care for her, something I don’t usually think about.”

Gunnar Hanson ’19 said, ’“To my family, Mother’s Day is about taking responsibility away from my mom, so she can relax”. He and his family try to take over their mother’s work and let her enjoy herself. Hanson elaborated, “We like to book her a massage or an appointment at the nail salon so she can really enjoy the day without worrying about anything back home.”

Ashley Chin ’19, takes a similar approach to the day, taking work and stress away from her mother by switching roles. “I like to try and do what my mom does for me, for her, to show how much of a help she is in my life.” Chin explained: “It’s the little things our moms do that often go unnoticed; I like to let her enjoy them too, and see how impactful they are in my life.” 

These are just some ways that people on the hill celebrate Mother’s Day, but no matter what we do, it’s all about stopping to recognize our mothers’ devotion to us. We’ve all heard the saying: “It’s the thought that counts,” and Mother’s day is no exception to this. I’m not a mom myself, but I bet it’s not the presents that mothers enjoy most; it’s the thought, love, and appreciation we give them that makes their day. Why don’t we all try to keep a little bit of Mother’s Day in our hearts all year round?