Think back to long ago when you were still a tiny little kid who was completely dependent on your parents for money, food, and shelter. And whenever your mom’s birthday came rolling around, the best gift that you could possibly afford to give her was probably something that you could make with your own two hands. Maybe you would have cooked her breakfast in bed or you offered to do the dishes after dinner. Maybe you gave her a massage or you helped around with the household chores.
Whatever the case, your mom was surely appreciative of your efforts. Any kind of effort that you put into making your mom happy is always going to be greatly appreciated and valued by her. And it wasn’t the difficulty of the gesture that you made per se. It was more of the thought and the meaning that you attached to those gifts that just absolutely warmed her heart.
Now you are a complete grown up and you’re probably making your own money at this point. You are now fully capable of getting your mom much nicer and more expensive gifts. And that’s perfectly fine and dandy. But you still have to understand that no amount of monetary value would ever be able to top the amount of quality time that you would decide to spend with her especially in the latter stages of her life.
And that’s why this article is trying to make a case for actually taking your mom out for a trip at least once a year.
You need to connect with each other more.
You might already have a family of your own at this point. Or at the very least, you already have a solid group of friends that you can rely on to be there for you whenever you want to go on a trip. You might not necessarily have your mom in mind whenever you’re thinking about possible travel buddies for the next adventure that you’re jetting off to. However, you should really try to consider her to be your travel partner.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a really long trip to a faraway country that both of you have never been before or if it’s a quick weekend getaway so someplace special. It’s always a nice thing whenever the two of you get to bond over an adventure that consists of just the two of you being in unfamiliar territory. You never know what kind of opportunities are going to be presented to you as a result of going on a trip together.
You are going to get a chance to really bond and connect with each other. Even after all the years that you’ve been in each other’s lives, there is always something new that you can learn from one another. You should never stop trying to get closer to each other even as you’re getting older in life. You should never say no to an opportunity to get closer and strengthen the relationship with your mother.
You will both find yourselves outside of your comfort zones.
Try to think back on the most recent times that you have actually interacted with your mom. Chances are that you last saw them in your home or in a familiar mall or restaurant that the two of you frequently visit. But when you travel, you are actually forced to make decisions and discoveries together. It’s going to force you to immerse yourselves in an unfamiliar environment – and that’s something that the two of you don’t really get to do together anymore. And there’s always a certain intimacy there whenever it’s just the two of you in a place that you’re not really used to being in. You will be forced to communicate about your plans and schedules of your trip. You will compromise on itineraries and you will prioritize specific spots you have to visit.
You get to communicate and work on this little project together. And this is the kind of collaboration that the two of you don’t really get to do much of anymore.
You’re going to realize that the love she had for you as a kid has only grown stronger since then.
Your mom is going to be willing to go to the spots that you want to go to even though she’s tired and wants to rest. She’s going to be willing to take a hundred different photos of you at the same spot because she knows how important it is to you to get the perfect picture. She’s going to make sure that you are well-fed and energized as you try to navigate your way through unfamiliar terrain.
That’s the thing about mothers. They never really stop loving you. And traveling together with her is going to give you another chance to rediscover the love that she has for you.
