With Mother’s Day coming up, students and staff alike are sharing what they look forward to when celebrating that special day. 

For some Oregon State University students, their first year of college is their first year away from home and that extra distance makes celebrating Mother’s Day even more special. 

Parker Solodky, a first-year civil engineering student, said he’s excited to see his mom and the rest of his family. Solodky said they’re all planning to come down to Corvallis and he is looking forward to taking them to dinner.

Not only do students get to look forward to celebrating mom, but deciding on what to get her can be a great opportunity for someone to show they care in their own unique way. 

According to Athena Morison, a first-year art major, a fun day spent together and something handmade is the way to go.

“My most memorable Mother’s Day was a couple years ago when I went to the coast for the day with my mom,” Morison said. “We listened to music on the drive there and then we walked along the beach.”

As for the gift idea, Morison already has something planned. 

“I have been preparing her gift for a while,” Morison said. “This year I got her a plant she mentioned that she liked, and I made a pot for it in the Craft Center.”

For this upcoming Mother’s Day, if you still don’t quite know what to get mom, sometimes the best way to find out is just to ask.

“I will just ask her what she wants to do,” Morison said. “Sometimes she wants to go on a hike, other times she has requested help with a project around the house and sometimes she just wants to relax at home with us.”

For Solodky, helping his mom around the house can make the perfect Mother’s Day. 

“My most memorable Mother’s Day would be helping my mom in the garden all day on a rare warm, sunny day in mid-May,” Solodky said.

Whether it be something homemade, a unique experience, or just a day hanging out, sometimes just having their children present and spending quality time together is the best gift a mother can ask for.

Dana Westbrook, an OSU employee at the Family Resource Center, said that she enjoys specific activities with her children on Mother’s Day.

“I definitely lean toward doing things together to celebrate,” Westbrook said. “Activities like a picnic, going out for breakfast, and baking cookies or banana bread, are fun for me to do with my kids.”

Westbrook also loves to receive homemade gifts.

“I once received a lovely handmade beaded pipe cleaner necklace that, while a bit uncomfortable to wear, I cherish because it came from my child’s creativity and love,” Westbrook said.

Westbrook shared that her ideal Mother’s Day would be to spend time with her family having a picnic in the park where she can hug and kiss her kids to thank them for making her so proud. 

No matter how Mother’s Day is celebrated, what’s most important can be the opportunity to show how much you love and appreciate mom.  

“It is a good way to acknowledge all the effort that goes into being a parent and all the ways my mom has supported me through my life,” Morison said.