'Its not about how much you do, its about how much love you put into what you do that counts"- Mother Teresa

While it may be debated that mothers deserve to be celebrated each and every day, the truth is that we’re all far too busy and consumed in our lives.

Looking at that, we should be thankful we have at least one day ( this year its 12th May) dedicated to the absolute magician in our life. She’s someone who’s known us 9-months longer than everybody else, but somehow we tend to distance ourself from her as the years go by. Blame it on the cobwebs of life or anything you’d like, the fact of the matter is that nothing justifies it. With just over a month left for this year’s Mother's Day, let’s promise to keep our mothers close at all times, and closer when she needs us. This will absolutely be the best gift you can give her, Mother's Day or not.

But that shouldn’t, at any cost, stop you from pampering her (throwback to the times she relentlessly pampered you, spent her days and nights trying to comfort you, and provided you with all you needed). Of all the relations you could think of, being a mother is truly the most selfless and non-materialistic one. For that reason, it’s only obvious to think outside the box, and gift your mother something non-materialistic.

After all, walking into a gift shop and barging out of it with gifts in hand is pretty simple. What is difficult, is gifting someone something they’ll look back and cherish. Giving them memories to savor. Giving them the assurance that you’re there. And finally, giving them all of yourself, no questions asked. And mind you, it’s not just someone we’re talking about. It’s your mother. The single most important person in your life, even from before you walked this earth.

So, let’s walk you through some gifts that’ll light up your mother’s face this Mother's Day, and many more Mother's Days to follow:

Give her your time. All of it.

“The most beautiful gift you can give to anyone is your time.”

As cliched as it sounds, there is truly no better gift for your mother than you and your time. From the day you are born to the day she passes away, her love, blessings, everything is dedicated selflessly to her children. It’s only fair that we take some time out of our “busy” lives for her. It’s easy to get distracted in your own life, but it should be kept in mind that despite understanding our situation perfectly, our parents, especially our mother never stops craving our time and closeness.

So, instead of gifting her something outlandishly expensive on this beautiful day, gift her with something she truly would cherish - your undivided attention. Switch off that pesky smartphone and log out of social media. Ah, those important emails? They can wait. Trust us, there is nothing that you could gift her that would mean more to her than having you spend some peaceful hours with her.

Take her out to her favorite place.

How many times have you been out with your friends or your partner, or even gone on vacations, having the time of your life and living it up with your favourite people standing and dancing next to you? Do you know who is your mother’s favorite person? It is you.

So, this Mother's Day, plan ahead and take her out to a peaceful, fun-filled city or site. If you can’t do that, at least take her to her favorite place in town. And while we’re at it, don’t forget the point number 1 - keep your phone switched off. Gift her this little slice of paradise with her child standing next to her. Trust us, you will never see her happier or more content! She dedicated her whole life making sure you achieved all that you did, and now, it’s her turn to enjoy the sights with you.

Get creative. Surprise her!

Whether it is in the form of an old school brunch or taking her to one of her most favorite artist’s concert - get creative and get going!

Remember all the surprise birthday parties she planned for you? Well, it’s her turn to be pleasantly startled! Invite over all her friends or even her favorite family members for an evening spent reminiscing over old memories and making new ones. It will serve as a respite from the monotony of her daily life, and also yours! The idea is to do something for her that she least expects. A lifetime spent catering to other people’s needs - she deserves her own surprise party, don’t you think?

Show her you care: get her health insured.

With our ever busy schedules and rushing deadlines, we often miss out on the fact that our parents are growing older. They no longer are the strong shoulders that supported our childhood, and this is only getting stronger with each passing day. One of the most beautiful ways to show your love for your mother is to gift her the joy of health. Gift her with a health insurance plan personalized to her unique needs and you would have gifted her one of the best things money can buy!

Our mothers have a tendency to take their health and themselves for granted. They would rather shrug off that nasty cold or pesky joint pain as “old age”, however, insuring their health with a policy tailored as per their needs is what you need to do as a responsible child. Aviva offers a host of personalized individual health plans that will prove to be the perfect gift for your mother on this precious day! From generous coverage, flexible premium payment plans to lifetime coverage with added maturity benefits, a health plan has indeed, never looked better!

Promise a better future.

Whether a working professional or a proud homemaker, your mother has shaped your life and your future in a way that remains unmatched! Thus, it is only fair that you play your part and provide her with an option to secure her golden years.

Gifting her with a retirement plan will not only ensure that her golden years are secure but also that she gets to enjoy the sunset phase of her life peacefully and without any form of financial dependence. Having a secure retirement fund will allow her to fulfill all her post-retirement plans, including the ones she herself was oblivious about. Too often, our parents let go of their dreams and ambitions to help us fulfill ours. A retirement plan will help reverse this, and ensure that your mother enjoys her post-retirement period and lives life to the fullest! A retirement plan also ensures that your family is ready for any unforeseen situations, especially related to her health. With an unpredictable future and the ever-rising cost of medical care, it is indeed advisable to invest in a retirement plan.

While the list is endless, we’ll stop here for now. You’ve made her proud all along, now is your time to make her happy. Utterly happy! 

Apr 6/19

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