Wendy31
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2005
She’s not researching a Master’s thesis; just trying to make a touching little tribute video for Mother’s Day at church. None of this is on-point for that.
Absolutely!!
Keep it light & sweetly touching, cute, & gently funny - a tribute to mothers of all ages & in all stages.
It’s Mother’s Day, &, while, yes, it’s a hard day for many, I don’t think anyone really wants to be brought down (or brought down even lower if you’re already down) by watching a video that’s heavy, depressing, too analytical, or too much of a social commentary.
As a side-note, Mother’s Day is complicated for me, so I get it. My relationship w/ my own mother is very complex & often makes me sad & wistful - so, most years, even though I’m a mother myself, I don’t much look forward to the holiday. Additionally, for a brief moment, my husband & I struggled to conceive. (I say “brief” because our 2 years of trying to get pregnant were nothing like what some women experience.) And there were a few tough Mother’s Day services for me at church. Our church recognized all women & girls, but, still, it felt inauthentic - because, even though it’s nice the church is recognizing all the women & girls on Mother’s Day, it doesn’t take away the longing or the feelings of sorrow/inadequacy/bitterness/whatever, & it’s not like you don’t realize, “They’re giving me a flower because they don’t want anyone to feel left out not because I’m an actual mother.”
After all, it’s called Mother’s Day, not Women & Girls Day.
[EDITED TO ADD - And I’m NOT saying that all women & girls shouldn’t be recognized on Mother’s Day & it isn’t a very nice idea to do that… I’m just saying, women KNOW.]
So, all that said, I think it’s fine to honor mothers on Mother’s Day w/ special things like tribute videos.
Mothering is not easy & should be recognized. Honoring the mothers for the roles they play & have played throughout our lives is a lovely thing!
Additionally, while some people don’t have/didn’t have good moms in their lives, that doesn’t mean we just totally ignore the concepts of being a good mother, all the many varied elements of mothering, & the differences mothers have made in our lives - and the honor these ideals should bring.
And, yes, people come to mothering through all different ways & absolutely should be recognized & honored. But please don’t include “pet moms” - taking care of a dog or a cat is so totally different than actually taking care of & raising a child. And, I recognize that will probably be offensive to some, but having someone w/ a dog claim “I’m a mom too!” is offensive as well to many women who are mothers of actual humans. (And I say that as a pet owner & a parent - the 2 are not the same.)
Of course, be sensitive & kind & inclusive, but, in doing so, don’t take away the tribute & honor of being a mother, if that makes sense.
So, all that said, some ideas for your video -
* Maybe have some children of different ages in very quick sound bites answering cute questions like “What is your favorite meal that your mom makes?” “What does your mom tell you all the time?” “What is your favorite thing about your mom?” “What is your mom’s favorite thing about you?” “If your mom could go anywhere for a vacation, where would she go?”
* And, for the older children - “How has your mom influenced you & helped shape your life?” “What’s the best piece of advice your mom has given you?” “What have your mother’s prayers for you meant to you?”
* Along the same lines as above, maybe have some husbands of moms in very quick sound bites answering questions about their wives - “Why are you proud of your wife?” “What is your wife’s best quality as a mother?” “What all does your wife do for your family?” “Why are your kids blessed to have your wife as their mother?” “How do the two of you make your parenting team work?” “In 3 words, describe motherhood.”
I mean, it’s the time for the kids & their dads to “rise up & call her blessed” after all, right? ;-)
And then also include all the different mothers in the video as you had planned -
“When you 1st found out you were going to be a mother, how did you feel?”
“Now that you’ve been a mother for _________ years, looking back what would you tell yourself when you 1st became a mother?”
“What kind of advice would you give new moms today?”
“How have other moms helped you on your own journey as a mother?”
“Has has being a mother made you appreciate your own mother more?”
“What are a few ‘must-haves’ as a mom of babies, toddlers, preschool children, elementary children, middle school children, high school children, college-aged children, adult children…”
“As a mom, what roles do you serve in your family?”
“What’s the best thing about being a mom?”
“How do your children make you proud?”
“What’s been a proud moment for you as a mom? What’s been a humbling experience for you as a mom?”
“What’s been the funniest or craziest thing that has happened to you as a mother?”
“What’s something you never thought you’d do or couldn’t do, but mothering proved you wrong?”
“How has your mothering changed throughout your journey as a mother? How has mothering in general changed over the years?”
“How do you want your children to remember you?”
“What do you do when you need a break?”
“What’s the most special thing about your family? What are things you enjoy doing as a family?”
“As a mother, in what ways do you depend on your own mother? On fellow mothers? On your husband? On God?”
“Looking back, can you share a time where God directed your path as a mother?”
“What kind of prayers have you prayed over your children?”
“How do you & your husband work together as a parenting team - how do y’all make it work together?”
“In 3 words, describe motherhood.”
For the grandmothers - “How is being a grandmother different from being a mother?” “What is your favorite thing about being a grandmother?” “How has mothering changed over the decades?” “What’s one of your favorite things about seeing your adult children with families of their own?” “What’s the legacy you hope to leave your children & their families?”
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