Does Your Mom Have Everything? Give Her a Water Buffalo for Mother's Day!

Are stumped about what to give your mother for Mother's Day? Every year I have trouble deciding what to get my mother. In addition to her, I also have to figure out something to give my mother-in-law. Both women have everything, so gift giving is very difficult. Last year I gave my mother a reusable shopping bag that was made out of a rice sack. It was very cute, and she uses it, and I felt good about giving something that was, as they say these days, "earth friendly." My mother-in-law is a little more difficult because she really doesn't get the whole recycling, "go green," be good to mother earth stuff, so I ended up getting her two metal pinwheels to put out in her yard. They were very cute; shaped like flowers. I won't go into great details about how frustrating that gift was because she couldn't figure out how to put them together and stick them out in the flower bed, but anyway. . . Those items were purchased online at a really cool store called Uncommon Goods. If you are looking for unique gifts, that is the place to go: www.uncommongoods.com

This year I looked around at Uncommon Goods and found some nice things, but nothing that really spoke to me. After messing around for several hours trying to find something, I remembered Heifer International. When we were kids at my church (my kids still do it today) we were given little arks (like Noah's) to fill with random pennies and other change. Then we would all turn in our arks and the money from the arks would go to Heifer International who would then purchase a farm animal (a heifer years ago) to give to a needy family in a poor country. The idea was that the family could then live off the milk from the heifer, sell any leftover milk to earn an income, and eventually build up a herd of cattle to give to others and to use for sustenance. Heifer International has come a long way since they started out. I believe they have been in existence for sixty years. Now you can give money to buy chicks, ducklings, geese, rabbits, or honeybees, to name a few. All of these animals can provide life giving sustenance, income and then, offspring from these animals can be given to others, so the cycle can continue. There are many animals to choose from or you can donate to a portion of an animal (like a water buffalo) that is more expensive. The animals are given to families who have been trained to take care of the creature and then are expected to pass the gift on once their animals start producing. Heifer International serves the needy in many different countries as well as in the United States. So, what are my mother and mother-in-law getting this year? We are sending them a card that tells them that a gift of honeybees and tree saplings have been given in their honor to a needy family somewhere in the world. That is a gift I know my mother will love, and even if my mother-in-law doesn't "get it," she can't say it isn't a thoughtful gift! If you would like to give a water buffalo to your mother this year, please go to www.heifer.org