Mother's Day and Father's Day emails that don't sound like a card
Skip the greeting-card lines. Here is how to write a Mother's Day or Father's Day email that sounds like you, plus a way to make sure it goes out on time every year.
Parents can spot a template from across the room. They raised you. The way to write something they will keep is to tell them one thing you noticed, one thing you learned, and one thing you still do because of them.
For mom
- You still call to ask if I've eaten. I'm thirty-three. I hope you never stop.
- Everything I know about taking care of people, I learned watching you do it without being asked.
- The pancakes you taught me at nine are still the only thing I cook well. Happy Mother's Day.
- You made a small house feel enormous. I'm still trying to do that in mine.
For dad
- Three newspapers, one cup of tea, and every answer I ever needed. Happy Father's Day.
- You let go of the bike at exactly the right moment. You've been doing that ever since.
- I catch myself saying your phrases to my kids. They roll their eyes exactly like I did.
- Thank you for showing up. Every game, every recital, every 2 AM airport run.
The date problem
Mother's Day and Father's Day move every year, and they are different in different countries. UK Mothering Sunday is in March. US Mother's Day is the second Sunday of May. Father's Day is the third Sunday of June in the US and UK but September in Australia. If you have family in more than one country, you will get one wrong eventually.
Making it automatic
In DontRemember, add Mother's Day or Father's Day as an occasion for each parent and it is prefilled with the date. Add the facts: the pancakes, the newspapers, the bike. Each year a fresh email is written from them, you see it the night before, and it sends from your Gmail on the morning. You still make the call. The email just makes sure the day starts with you.