And so our mothers and grandmothers have, more often than not anonymously, handed on the creative spark, the seed of the flower they themselves never hoped to see – or like a sealed letter they could not plainly read.
Alice Walker

No one knows the heart of a mother, except another mother. We live our lives for ourselves until one day, every breath we take is for someone else, and nothing will ever be the same again, thankfully. There are no “easy answers” in motherhood. A mother’s heart is often heavy for reasons that no one else in the family will be able to understand, or even be aware of. As a community of mothers, we’re hard on each other, and even harder on ourselves. At-home moms, moms who work outside of the home, moms who work from home …it seems that there is never a “perfect balance” for the modern mother, although we keep chasing after it, and trying to live up to a level of perfection, that no one, no matter how hard she tries, will ever be able to attain.

Francis E. W. Harper, an African-American poet and activist for African American and Women’s rights, addressed the Brooklyn Literary Society in 1892 and said, “Every mother should endeavor to be a true artist. I do not mean by this that every women should be a painter, sculptor, musician, poet, or writer, but the artist who will write on the table of childish innocence thoughts she will not blush to see read in the light of eternity and printed amid the archives of heaven, that the young may learn to wear them as amulets around their hearts and throw them as bulwarks around their lives, and that in the hour of temptation and trial the voices from home may linger around their paths as angels of guidance, around their steps, and be incentives to deeds of high and holy worth.”

In our day-to-day struggles to “do the right thing” if we can keep our eyes on “the big picture” and the effect that our mothering will have years from now, and on future generations, than we can possibly let go of the false guilt we carry and keep our eyes on the real prize of motherhood. If you think that the mother or mothers in your life deserve some recognition and a few “prizes” in the interim, please read on for some wonderful ideas for your mom, and for special ways to mark the occasion.

Mother’s Teas & Brunches

Garden Angel Tea Room
42211 North 41st Drive, Anthem
Phone: 623-551-9583
Time: 11 AM to 2 PM, reservations recommended.
Cost: $24.95 for adults, $9.95 for children

Enjoy a traditional high tea with your mother, or child. The Mother’s Day event includes a three-course meal (finger sandwiches, scones, fruit and dessert)

English Rose Tea Room
201 Easy Street # 103, Carefree
Phone: 480.488.4812
Web: www.carefreetea.com
Time: 10 AM, reservations recommended
Cost: $55 per person

Join the ladies in Carefree for a six –course formal afternoon tea that includes treats such as tea sandwiches, soup, salad, petit fours, scones, truffles, and of course, tea! Mother’s Day tea will feature live classical music, and gifts for moms.

Mother’s Day Tea and Brunch in the Courtyard at el Pedregal
El Pedregal Festival Marketplace
Southeast Corner of Scottsdale Road and Carefree Highway
Phone: 480-488.4100
Web: www.elpedregal.com
Time: 1:30 to 4:30 PM
Cost: $45 per person

It’s tea time at El Pedregal! The Bakery Café celebrates mom with tea, mini sandwiches (including a variety of Lobster, Chicken, Vegetable, Salmon, and Petit Ruben), scones, and an assortment of desserts with live music in the courtyard.

Mother’s Day Brunch at The Latilla Restaurant
Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa
34631 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Carefree
Phone: 480.488.9009
Web: www.theboulders.com
Time: 11 AM to 3 PM
Cost: $90 adults, $35 children ages 6 -12, children under 12 complimentary

Executive Chef Michel Pieton prepares cold, hot, carving, made-to-order omelet, sushi, bread and bakery stations as well as a dessert table and a “kids” buffet table. Specialty items include Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Shallot Cabernet Sauce, Medallions of Veal with a Sweet Pea Risotto, Sesame Crusted Ahi Tuna with Asian Vinaigrette and Wasabi Drizzle, Stuffed Breast of Chicken with Indian Curry Coconut Sauce, Bailey’s Flourless Cake.

Special Events

Madelyn’s Restaurant & Wine Bar
39504 N. Daisy Mountain Drive, Anthem
Phone: 623.551.6800
Web: www.madelynsrestaurant.com
Time: TBD
Cost:: TBD

Expect some of Madelyn’s usual exquisite fare for the mothers of Anthem and surrounding areas!

Mother’s Day Celebration at Canal Restaurant
Southbridge
Stetson and Scottsdale Road
7144 East Stetson Drive, Ste. 250, Scottsdale
Phone: 480.949.9000
Web: www.canalaz.com
Time: 11 AM – 6 PM (serving lunch), 6 PM – 10 PM (serving dinner)
Cost: Cost of individual menu items, with 25 percent of the proceeds of certain menu items donated to the “Dress for Success” charity organization.

Pair spectacular food and a sense of style at this mother’s day event. When attendees purchase appetizer (Morel mushroom and boursin quiche with sweet corn, sautéed leeks, roasted tomatoes, truffle oil & baby greens, $12), entrée (grilled wild salmon with champagne glaze and savory strawberry rhubarb tart, asparagus & smoked sea salt compound butter, $24), and dessert (Meyer lemon tar with spring berry melon sabayon, $8.) Guests are also invited to sit back and enjoy a fashion show showcasing children’s clothing by MIX boutique, The Garage.

Give your mom the gift of fitness with A.K. Taekwondo. Treat her to a gift card for one month of the Ultimate Challenge Workout for only $75, or treat her to their summertime special of TaeKwonDo. Choose any two months of the summer (June, July, and August) for only $99. Offer is good for any member of the family and includes two TaeKwonDo classes per week.

Mother’s Day at the Phoenix Zoo
455 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix
Phone: 602.273.1341
Web: www.phoenixzoo.org
Time: 9 AM to 5 PM

Share a wild day with your mom at the zoo! One free mom admission with one paid child admission. Bashas’ will offer complimentary continental breakfast in the Stone House Pavillion. Buffet opens at 9 AM, however, quantities are limited so come early. Moms also receive a flower while supplies last.

The Mix, Mimosas, and Mom!
7144 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale
Time: 11 AM to 5 PM

The Mix celebrates Mother’s Day with Specials throughout the shopping district. Enjoy an eclectic shopping experience throughout 24 independent boutiques stocked with up-to-the-minute fashions and furnishings for that elusive “have to have” item of the moment.
Complimentary mimosas and chocolate-covered strawberries will be available for those shopping with mom!

For ANY mom: if possible, visit your mother and let her know how much you appreciate her, and everything she does. Forego the email cards, and even a commercial card. Instead, give her a letter or a personal note …it’ll mean much more to her!

For the “Artsy” Mom: Take her to the Phoenix Art Museum for the exhibit, “Passport to Europe: Six Centuries of Treasures from Museo de Arte de Ponce.” It’s the first time this exhibit will be shown in North America.

For the “Studious” Mom: Ask her about her bookstore “wishlist”. Offer to pay (or make a contribution toward) a class that she wants to take.

For the Mom who loves to be pampered: Give her a gift certificate for a treatment at her favorite spa or nail salon. Make a basket that brings together all of her favorite lotions and creams.

For the “Musical” Mom: Purchase tickets to a concert or show. Give her the gift of music by downloading all of her favorite songs and making her a CD. If she likes to make music, buy music lessons for her (www,protegemusicacademy.com) so that she can she learn to play that instrument she “always wanted to play”!

For the “Nature” Mom: Buy tickets to the Desert Botanical Garden’s Butterfly Exhibit (www.dbg.org, runs through May 11.) Buy her a bicycle so that she can check out the trails in Anthem.

For the “Crafty” Mom: Enroll her in the two-day workshop on gold-smithing at the Mesa Arts Center. (www.mesaartscenter.com, May 10 & 11)

For the “Culinary” Mom: Buy mom cooking lessons at a local cooking school (www.surlatable.com, www.sweetbasilgourmet.com) Or, skip the lessons and but a monogrammed apron and carving board, a waffle maker, or a pannini press, sit back, and reap the rewards (all available at www.williams-sonoma.com).

If your mom has passed away, do something in honor of her life. Spend the day contemplating on the difference she made in your life, and in all of the lives she touched.