Today, we celebrate mom.

With every passing year, I have to say my favorite gift from my kids is simply having all three of them under my roof for the day. (Luckily, I got them for the whole weekend this year.) As they’re getting older, and the eldest has already flown the nest, it gets harder and harder to manage.

I was thinking back on Mother’s Days of the past, both as a mother and as a daughter. There were some great ones and some pretty funny ones. 

And quite a few bizarre gifts over the years.

About fifteen years ago, little clear glass cubes with laser-etched designs inside them were quite popular at the mall. The design was always something kitschy like a teddy bear, a single rose or a bald eagle. 

One Mother’s Day (before my youngest was born), my two kids (mostly the eldest, the middling child was only one) decided I needed one of these. (I really, really didn’t.)

Mine had a bouquet with butterflies flitting around it, the word 'Mom' above the bouquet and 'I ♥️ You' on the bottom.

But it was from my kids, so I proudly displayed it in my home over the years.

Even after these interesting décor choices fell out of popularity, I kept mine. 

A couple of years ago, I heard a loud crash.

It had slid off of its illuminated, spinning mirrored base (yeah, that kind of tacky), and an entire corner sheared off.

The following Mother’s Day, all three kiddos went in on a gift, so I knew something was up. I unwrapped the package and inside was another laser-etched decorative glass cube. Only this one is inspired from one of my favorite photos of my kids when they were younger - my boys are giving their sister a big ol' smooch.

Is it just as tacky? You bet.

Do I love it beyond words? Oh, heck yeah.

(I kept the busted original. I couldn’t bear the thought of pitching it.)