The second Sunday of May has been earmarked as Mother’s Day, an occasion to celebrate mothers, mothering and maternal bonds all over the world. Through the years, the celebration evolved from simple cards handcrafted by schoolchildren for their mothers or a meal shared with the family after attending church services to a more elaborate tribute for mothers. Pre-pandemic years, the Mother’s Day reeks with commercialism. Restaurant reservations are booked weeks ahead and florists anticipate profit that rivals the Valentine’s Day.
Then the coronavirus pandemic happened and everyone turned to the social media to celebrate holidays and special events. It set off a digital explosion, infiltrating every home and office, sparing no one. Holiday greetings and celebrations were done virtually and gifts were ordered and delivered online. And for the Mother’s Day, we can expect the same modus operandi.
For those who have had enough as their emails and social media accounts are flooded with advertisements every time a holiday comes up, the idea of opting out is lucrative. This fuelled the idea for some brands to offer their customers the option of not receiving holiday reminders online, including on Mother’s Day. The idea is to make people feel good without the pressure of a “reminder” to be sweet, thoughtful, thankful, and kind on this special day.
The opt-out initiative is laudable since not everyone wants to be reminded all the time on how to be a good human. The initiative to reach out and establish emotional connectivity should be spontaneous. Just like every mother, who is instinctively attached to her offspring since the beginning of time. – NWI
