Yesterday my family celebrated a belated mother's day. We planned it for a weekend that my brothers kids could spend with their grandma. (And great grandmother, it turned out.) I had previously asked my mom what she wanted me to cook for her that day for dinner. She paused and gave it a bit of thought before making a face and saying, "I'll ask your brother to cook, you can make dessert."

I bought my mom a shirt for mother's day, but it seems the true gift of that day is me not cooking dinner for her.