Make Mother’s Day special for your mom

Tomorrow is Mother’s Day, a day which honours mothers as well as motherhood, maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in our societies. This day is celebrated in different countries and it gives many people a chance to show their appreciation towards their mothers in diverse ways.

Mother’s day is a special occasion not only for the mothers but also for the children. Children put lots of efforts to make this day a celebration for the most special person in their lives – the one who has not only raised them to be better people of today but the one who has stood by them through thick and thin. Though simple words and gestures like hugs is what our mothers find most special –there’s always room for that ‘extra’ thing to complement the affection we have for our mums. Then why not surprise her with something unusual.

In Tanzania, we have an abundance of ways you can make this day special for your mum. Woman magazine has compiled a list of tips on how you can your surprise your ‘superwoman’ on mother’s day.

Spend some quality time with your mother: Ever since she gave birth to her three daughters seven years ago, Angel Dominic admits that motherhood has completely changed how she sees and values her mother. “There is this love and appreciation for my mother that erupted after I too became a mother. I’m not saying I didn’t love my mother at all but, going through the same experience she had of being a parent taught me so much of what my mother had to go through for me and my siblings to be where we are today,” she says.

As a result, for the last four years, Angel and her siblings have been celebrating Mother’s day in a special way by going to their mother’s house and spending quality time with her. “We try our best to make her feel like a queen on that special day. We cook for her nice food and most importantly tell her how much we love her and appreciate everything she has done and continues to do for us,” she says.

Choose a thoughtful gift: This is also one of the things you can do to make your mother feel loved on this special day. The best thing to do to make or come up with the right choice of gift is to figure out what are some of her favourite things or what does she like to do most. This will show her that you know her well and you thought of her on this special day.

“If you are not sure of what to get her, there is no harm in asking around to get an idea on what to buy her. Family photo for instance, can also be a good idea of a gift. Having family members in one photo with her can be a good gift that will remind her of how blessed and loved she is,” explains Joanita Gabriel, a gift shop owner based in Msasani.

Buy her flowers: Flowers make your day and it is such a thoughtful gesture to gift anyone. What better occasion than mother’s day to put a smile on your superwoman. These flower shops are just a phone call away:

1. Al’s Flora

Al’s Flora is a floral shop headquartered in Arusha and they offer a variety of bouquets to choose from. Alice, the owner, is passionate about what she does and this translates into her customer service over a phone call. The online floral service offers not only a variety of flowers to choose from but also arrangement and door step delivery. My preferred pick was a mixed bouquet in a bowl vase. You can check their Instagram page ‘@alsflora’ for more details.

2. Petals and leaves

Petals and leaves is a flower shop based in Dar es Salaam in the city centre. With the choices of fresh and dried flowers, one cannot leave the shop empty handed. You can learn more about them through their Facebook page ‘petals and leaves – Dar es salaam’.

3. Little roses

Little roses, a floral shop based in Arusha, is a phone call away. They are the best judge when it comes to what you want according to your pocket size. Their friendly and quick responses will get you your bouquet delivered on time and at the door-step. You can get in touch with them through their facebook page – ‘little roses’.

Pamper her: Most of our mothers have worked tirelessly and are often times left with little or no time to take care of their looks. This day can be perfect to pamper your mother if you have some money to spend.

There’s a saying that goes, ‘nothing a massage can’t fix’. A spa time is what our mothers need – to relax and to rejuvenate. Instyle saloon based in Dar es Salaam’s city centre has Mother’s Day offer up for grabs. From their herbal ball compress body massages to their papaya hair spa – they have packages for all treatments and services.

“If you can’t afford that you can choose a simple treat at a salon where she or both of you (together) can get manicure, pedicure and makeover,” explains Zuhura Mohamed, a self-employed makeup artist.

She further explains that if one has run out of budget they can make a decision to pamper their mom at home by buying her a nice face mask and other beauty products to make her feel beautiful and loved.

Take her out for a nice dinner: Harold Clement and his two sisters lost their father 15 years ago. Their widowed mother then took both the role as a father and mother to raise them. Today, the three of them are married with children. They appreciate the sacrifices their mother made to ensure that they become who they are today.

“We always take our time to show our mother how much we love her and appreciate what she has done for us to be who we are today. I think we always try our best to make everyday a mother’s day for our mother,” explains Harold.

However, to make it a more special day he and his siblings have always come up with a different plan to celebrate their mother’s day. “We try to spend time with our mother away from home. Last year we took her to a National park, this year we plan to take her for a special dinner where she can eat and enjoy herself with her children and grandchildren. So when someone asks me for the best ideas to do on mother’s day, I would say go out to some place nice to have fun with your mother.

There are hundreds of restaurants in the city that have special meal offers on Mother’s Day. You can make arrangements for your mother on the special day. Restaurants such as Akemi, Southern Sun, Coral ridge spur all have special offers on Mother’s Day.

Gift hamper is another great idea to surprise your mother. Since it is a last-minute thing, you don’t want to go hip-hopping places assembling your mother’s favourites. Step into Confetti Tz, a gift shop located in Msasani, Dar es Salaam where they have customised gift items for this special day. Pick and Mix gift items are available for Mother’s Day at their store and plenty others for grabs.

Make contact: The single most important thing to do on Mother’s Day is to let your mother know that you love and appreciate her. If you can’t be there in person to celebrate your mom, give her a call.

If you’re living overseas or upcountry, you can send a card, but a phone call is even more important. If you have Internet connection and a computer, phone, or tablet with a camera, you can even video chat with your mother.

Sakina Shabbir Dossaji, a renowned poet from Tanga, is grateful for all that her mother has done for her. She attributes her success today to her mother. “At 40, a mother of 3 teenage kids and a fulltime working mother, all that I am, and what my children are, I owe it to my precious mother. A mother whom I call an Angel who has moulded me into what I am today. My morning is perfumed by her good morning messages and flower pics, I love her with every breath I take,” she says.

This mother’s day, Sakina has lots of plans for her mother. “Mother’s day I want to show appreciation and surprise her with a red velvet cake, a lovely bouquet of roses and a beautiful poem penned by me. Her kitchen will remain closed as we shall spend the day out. A lovely facial treatment and hair cut will await her at the salon. Then I will treat her to the most glamorous make-over and we shall spend time at the movies and treat her to a sumptuous lunch, sizzling prawns, her favourite to devour,” she plans,

Sakina further adds “As we believe in sharing joy, we shall visit the nearest orphanage and spread our love and hug the tiny sweethearts and watch joyous faces as they appreciate the treat given to them. Apart from material things, I want to hold my mother’s hand and promise her my time and attention, warm companionship and to listen to her in her darkest moments. Paradise lies under the feet of your mother and my life is heaven on earth because of her sublime presence and unconditional love. As they say, there is none like mother, treasure her while she is alive for it will be too late when you see her empty chair. Even the finest of silk pillows loses its essence of luxury, as you yearn to hug her one more time.”

Additional contribution by Tasneem Hassanali and Janet Otieno-Prosper