For English teacher Juliana Wright, her mother is her best friend, so for her, Mother’s Day is one of the most special days of the year.

According to Wright, “My mom means everything to me.  She lives God’s word and is the same person everywhere.”

Wright’s mother is a former teacher who now is a children’s pastor at The Rock Church in Fayetteville.  She also assists her 94-year-old mother, Wright’s grandmother, with tasks too difficult to accomplish on her own.

On Mother’s Day these women usually have dinner at Wright’s grandmother’s house and do whatever she is feeling up to.

“It’s pretty special hanging out with three generations,” Wright said.  For her, the day isn’t about  sentimental cards or a phone call.  In fact, Wright can never find a card that perfectly matches how she feels.  Wright enjoys  giving  “little surprises” that brighten her mom’s day such as a pint of fresh blueberries, a favorite candy and always a stuffed animal.  Last year Wright gave her mom a stuffed dog.  Doing yard work or taking their  dogs for a walk  is another way to make her mom smile.  Wright has a Peekapoo and Shih Tzu. Her mom has two Shih Tzus.

“It’s the small things that mean the most,” Wright said.  “In spite of life’s challenges, my mom perseveres. She’s admirable.”

Mother’s Day was first recognized as a day of celebration in 1914, six years after West Virginian Anna Jarvis first proposed it.  Jarvis’ mother promoted healthy working conditions in cities with her “Mother’s Day Working Clubs” and was the inspiration for Mother’s Day.

Junior Maddison Green’s family also takes Mother’s Day seriously.  Green’s mom takes time out of her day to cook breakfast, lunch and do the family’s laundry  so Mother’s Day is a time to show mom that her actions are appreciated.  To start the day, Green and her sister Samantha make their mother a breakfast of eggs and bacon.   After washing the dishes, the family spends the day doing whatever mom wants, usually shopping and watching movies. Before the day ends, Green’s mom opens her presents and they pile into the car to go out to Thai Spice or an Italian restaurant, two of Mrs. Green’s favorites.

“I just like to help out more on Mother’s Day,” Green said.

For freshman Maya Scarbrough, family is very important  so we  “ like to show our mom how much she means to us,” Scarbrough said.

The three Scarbrough children, Maya, Ethan, and Paul, like to switch the roles and let their mom relax while they do the household chores.

“We all try to do something different and special like cooking breakfast or cleaning up around the house,” Scarbrough said.  They also take mom to out to lunch or dinner, and end the night watching TV together.

Junior Noah Wootten and his family can always be found at Carrabba’s Italian Grill on Mother’s Day.  Wootten’s stepmom works as a special education teacher at Clear Water Academy  but once she gets home, she jumps right into her second job, which is taking care of her family and making sure they have everything they need before the next day’s events.  This includes the surprise request at 8 p.m. that Noah needs 24 cupcakes for his Spanish class tomorrow.

According to Wootten, “We try to just give her a break and show her that we notice and appreciate what she does for us.  It can be tough trying to do everything.”

English teacher Jillian Bowen recognizes Mother’s Day as “a time to cherish what you have and are given by your mother.”  In past years, Bowen and her brother and sisters would get together and eat at a Mexican restaurant to celebrate the day with their mother.  Even though Bowen’s mom passed away last year, she said the tradition will still go on  so the family can honor her memory.

Any time Bowen needed someone to talk to, she said she would go to her mother.  Bowen was always taught to persevere and hope for the best.

For Bowen, this Mother’s Day will be a celebration of the life of a woman who loved flowers and the beauty of life.

“I’ve got her plants and I like to think she’s looking after me,” Bowen said.