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Motherlove shapes cultures and individuals, but a mother does not necessarily have to be the one who has birthed the infant.
Humans are not the only creatures that assist the needy going through difficult times. There are so many animals who have stepped up and “adopted” animals of other species. It is thought that these unlikely occurrences, may indeed be a result of the animal's empathy, to relieve its pain, hunger, or loneliness. Mammals have the same brain structure, and the same system related to emotion that humans have, so it makes perfect sense that these beautiful creatures respond this way. There is the story of the Hippo orphan and the giant tortoise who came to the assistance of the scared and lonely hippo when released into a nature park, after being rescued after an Indian Ocean Tsunami. The unlikely tortoise mother allowed the terrified baby hippo to “cling” to her, and they stayed together patrolling the pond together.
Then a gorilla in the San Francisco Zoo, named Koko, was given a live kitten when her stuffed toys were not fulfilling her maternal needs any longer. Koko cared for and even tried to nurse the kitten and was physically devastated when the kitten was killed by a car after leaving Koko’s enclosure. Koko mourned in her cage by wailing and bellowing when the kitten did not return. Just two examples, but so many more. There is the cat and the baby rabbit, the monkey, and wild boar, and the one where the Dalmatian dog adopts a spotted lamb, which had been rejected by its mother, as the rare genetic mutation of a spotted coat did not sit well with her. Enter, another spotted mom, but in the form of a dog, to love the little lamb.
Being a mother is about so much more than growing a baby for nine months — it’s about unconditional love and support, a listening ear, and a shoulder to cry on. It’s about encouragement and honesty and selflessness. On a personal note, when my mom passed away, it was the most devastating event in my life. How would I ever get over this as my Mom was my best friend and confidant and so much more? My daughters had also lost their darling grandmother, who had played such a large part in their lives.
People were quick to send condolences while flashing us awkward smiles that I assume were meant to be encouraging. They said things like, “Oh, you poor thing” and “You’re going to be OK,” but what they did not understand was that I did not need pity, just support.
Losing my mom sucked, obviously, but I’m OK. I am more than OK because despite losing the person that gave me life, I had a line of people standing behind us ready to pick up the pieces and glue them back together. Where my mom left off, special people in my life picked up. And not just family — people with no legal or biological ties to us whatsoever have stepped up in ways that I can’t even begin to explain. My aunt who lives overseas, became my new best friend & surrogate mom, albeit over WhatsApp. My best friend and her family became even closer, checking in on us and crying with us. Home-cooked meals and shopping arrived anonymously and the love we felt was like a warm hug from my late mom. My boss and colleagues were there and shed many a tear with me and offered really warm, motherly love and care.
From a company point of view, Mother’s Day can be a bit tricky, as not all employees have a mother or are themselves mothers, so everyone deserves to be spoilt on this special day. Maybe Tom and Paul have adopted a baby recently, so do they not deserve to be acknowledged and spoilt? Mary in the marketing department has taken in 3 dogs to foster, so she too is a mother and should be praised for being a mom to those fur babies. Isabell the executive's PA, about to retire, has never had children of her own, but for years, this wonderful lady and her husband have fostered babies and handed them over to parents who have adopted the little ones. She loves these children as her own, is mother to them during sleepless nights, and over weekends, whilst her stay-at-home husband, cares for them whilst she works during the week, which enables them to carry the costs of fostering. This wonderful couple is the epitome of motherhood as they provide a safe loving place for these helpless little beings. Then what about the HR manager who acts as mom to all in the company, giving open and honest advice, dealing with staff members' personal issues, and at times having to use “tough love” to get them back on track. Then you have the office mom, who may be a manager. or even the boss. The one who buys coffee for everyone, who asks how the kids are, and just generally shows an interest in all staff, thus boosting office morale. These “moms” take an interest in the employees and their families and this in itself spills over into how the employees engage with each other, which creates a happier working space.
This Mother’s Day, why not encourage staff to write a letter to someone at work, who has at some stage, “been a mother to them”. The company can provide the company-branded mother’s day gifts, which the employees can decide to gift to a certain staff member, or even keep for themselves, as a spoil. But what gifts are the perfect mother’s day gifts, which can be gifted to ANY type of mom, both male and female? A lovely soft and warm blanket will always be appreciated, and these can be branded too.
A lovely, perfumed candle, always appreciated and most useful, is another gift option.
A little sweet treat, with a message from the company, thanking ALL mothers, for their caring kindness. “To the world, you may be one person, but to one person you may be their world”. Choose a single customized wrapper chocolate, or a little bag of jellybeans, or some bon-bons in a glass jar, with a sticker. We have it all for you at Complete Gifts.
A lovely touch is to have a few “new mom” company branded gifts in the storeroom, for when employees, become new “moms” in any form. Create some brand awareness which shows how much the company cares, with a lovely diaper bag. A MUST for all new moms.
Some company-branded, babygrows will ensure that the new little ones are part of the company family right from the start.
If your company would rather make sure that they assist on another level, there are so many NPOs and NGOs who need assistance with caring for children. A “mother’s day” donation to any of these institutions will go a very LONG way to helping.
Contact us should you need assistance with Mother’s Day gifting or any other branded corporate gift queries you may have.
Thank you for your time and please visit our website for more ideas and information.
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