Mother’s Day is just a week away. I’m looking through the Sunday ads in the Journal-World geared toward moms and gifts for moms. Everything from jewelry, clothing and accessories, appliances, etc., is on sale.

Interestingly, none of this appeals to me.

When my kids were little, I hoped that we would get through the day without any crying or temper tantrums. We tried going out to dinner, but that never worked. Whether you had reservations or not, there was always a wait, and inevitably the kids couldn’t hang on, and would start to cry. So, we gave up going out on Mother’s Day for several years.

As the boys got older, they’d ask what I wanted for Mother’s Day. They would come home with flowers, gift cards, jewelry; you get the idea. It made them so happy to present a gift that they picked out for me on my special day. My favorites were always those gifts that were handmade by the kids.

Now, when my husband and kids ask if there’s anything special I want for Mother’s Day, I reply, “All I want is a peaceful day, and I don’t want to cook.” And truly, that is all I want.

I just want to spend a leisurely day with my family. I don’t want to be on any schedule. And now that the boys are teens, waiting for a table at a restaurant isn’t so bad (especially when I have a glass of wine). My husband and kids also like to cook, so a homemade meal by my loving family is also a great plan.

So even though the paper is full of Mother’s Day ads this week, I’m telling my family to save their money, and just enjoy the day with me. That would be the best gift of all.