Once again that special day when we honor the one person who will never give up on us is almost here. The first Sunday of May we always turn our attention toward making our mothers feel special one way or the other.

While most people consider Mother’s Day to be a Hallmark holiday this is not true. The earliest tributes to mothers date back to the annual spring festival the Greeks dedicated to Rhea, the mother of many deities, and to the offerings ancient Romans made to their Great Mother of Gods, Cybele.

Christians celebrated this festival on the fourth Sunday in Lent in honor of Mary, mother of Christ. In England this holiday was expanded to include all mothers and was called Mothering Sunday.

In the United States, Mother’s Day started nearly 150 years ago, when Anna Jarvis, an Appalachian homemaker, organized a day to raise awareness of poor health conditions in her community, which was a cause she believed would be best advocated by mothers. She called it “Mother’s Work Day.”

A lot has changed since then. We have taken the “work” out of the holiday and made it an event for moms to relax and be pampered.

There are several ways to do this. One of the most popular Mother’s Day gifts in recent years has been a day at the spa. Nothing makes a person feel more special than having an entire staff rush to fill your every need. From mud baths to facials, to pedicures, a day at the spa will have your mom feeling completely relaxed and appreciated. Sometimes a gift as simple as a meal at her favorite restaurant or a flower can be all you need to make mom feel special.

Regardless of your gift, when you go out to shop for mom please keep in mind that as I said earlier, this is the one person who will never give up on you. In appreciation I have decided to come clean and apologize for the many things I do to drive my mother crazy.

First of all, I am sorry that I allow the dog to come in the house when I make it home and you are not there. I understand that Blue Heelers are outdoor dogs and should never set foot in the house, but sometimes Taz likes to put his paws up and partake in the joys and wonderment of air conditioning. He has also become partial to ESPN Classic and it is sometimes hard to look into those big, crazy eyes and tell him he can’t come inside and watch the Sportscentury Bear Bryant biography.

Also, I am sorry for tampering with the Patrician Academy newsletters while no one was looking (If Mrs. Marianna Ezell is reading she knows exactly what I am talking about). By changing a word here and a word there I almost single handedly created a total fallout with the good alumni and parents of the school. I had never really been able to fully apologize for that, mostly because it was just plain funny, but I will use this opportunity and holiday to show my remorse.

I also apologize for my open criticism of your choice of an artificial Christmas tree for the last few holiday seasons. Even though they cheapen the holiday and suck the spirit right out of Christmas the cleanup is easier and that is what really counts right? Okay, that was a lame apology, but I think by now you understand my strong stance on the real versus fake tree issue.

Most of all, I apologize for the many things to come. That’s right, I am using this column as a get out of jail free card for any events that may arise in the future. Please keep this preemptive apology in mind when I torment my niece or nephew or call the school under an assumed name.

Just as it is your job to tell me what I am doing wrong it is my job to keep doing stupid things so you have a hobby and stories to share with your coworkers!

Happy Mothers Day!