The "Krone" Lower Austria column

The little messenger doesn’t need Mother’s Day

(Bild: Krone kreativ/Daniela Gaigg/canva)

Why I don't need Mother's Day and don't care about a bouquet of flowers on the 2nd Sunday in May. As a columnist, "Die kleine Botin" aka Daniela Gaigg writes about topics relating to life with the family. These include sustainability in everyday life, self-care and food for thought for parents.

Once a year, every 2nd Sunday in May, she traditionally makes cards and small gifts, memorizes poems, bakes cakes and buys flowers to honour her mother.

I'll be honest and say that I don't need Mother's Day. What I need is genuine appreciation for my efforts - not flowers and presents!

Much more important than a Sunday walk is what we moms ourselves make of it throughout the year. We don't always experience motherhood only in its good times. An unprecedented amount of worry, indescribable tiredness and mental load that cannot be put into words cause many women to go far beyond their own limits for years. Only to be punished with poverty in old age and missing years of retirement or having to completely realign themselves in the middle of their lives because the "perfect family" cannot be maintained despite all their efforts.

Self-care in everyday life
13 years ago, I couldn't wait to finally hold my daughter in my arms and the days were long and the years short for me too. That's why I follow a "self-care" approach, which I have already described in one of my books:

"Don't wait for the next vacation. Create little moments of strength every day. Create a life that you don't need a vacation from." And not a day of honor either.