I’m sounding the alarm. Mother’s Day is coming up this Sunday. Are you ready? Getting ready means different things to different people. My main warning goes out to sons and daughters. Now that I think about it. That’s everybody.

I’ve started my preparations. As with most obligations in life, I start with the “think method” of preparation. Remember the “think method” of learning to play a musical instrument in the show “The Music Man?” That means that no actual preparation has taken place, other than thinking about it.

I’m thinking that I’ll be getting my wife a card for Mother’s Day. That’s basic.

I may have a card filed away somewhere. But, most likely, it will be easier to just stop somewhere and buy a new one.

It’s easier when you’re a child buying a card for your mom than it is for a husband buying for their wife. The selection is much better for the son or daughter.

There are some funny cards out there that kids can give moms. I remember one that reads on the front, “To My Mother, Who is a Saint.” On the inside is printed, “From your Kid, Who Ain’t”

Another memorable card: “A Mother’s Intuition is always right…” Then the inside of the card says, “Unless you were feeling like you were getting more than a card for Mother’s Day.”

This sentiment is great too. “No matter what life throws at you”… then the inside of the card, “At least you don’t have ugly children. Happy Mother’s Day!”

It does take some thought to prepare for this special day. Of course, your need for preparation is determined by what your status is in relation to mothers.

Some people have mothers to remember in more than one situation or generation. Some men, for example, have living mothers, a wife who is a mother, a mother-in-law, and daughters who are mothers as well. That’s a lot of moms!

My own status at this point is being the grown-up (some may dispute that) son of a deceased mother and husband of the mother of my children. I also have a daughter and two daughters-in-law who are mothers.

Of course we all have friends and other relatives who are mothers. Some of us have special relationships with women who are mothers in our lives even though there’s no blood connection.

I believe that everyone has someone to remember on Mother’s Day. We obviously all got here by way of a mother. There may be a few who don’t have personal recollections of a mother because of circumstances of death or separation for one reason or another. But this Sunday, for the most part, I believe we all can honor mothers regardless of our circumstances, in some way.

My mother passed away in 1995. I have been thinking that I should be doing more to honor her memory. I should keep her life familiar with my children, and with me for that matter. The years go by. Events, words and deeds tend to fade in memory. It’s like the difficulty in remembering the pages and chapters of a book read long ago.

Fortunately, in remembering my mom, I have some pictures, videos, and written memories that make for a “book” that can be “re-read.” I think it’s important to compile information on our families so as to provide our children with an understanding of their origins. It creates a connection that can become important, if not now, at some point in most people’s lives.

There are still memories of my mother which I should write down. It’s too easy to put off these things. Forgive me, but in the spirit of “there’s no time like the present,” I’m going to end my procrastination right now — at least a little bit.

My mother, Florence Ogden, lived to be 80 years old. She spent the last few months of her life in the care center in Mayfield in the final stages of Alzheimer’s disease. (The “long goodbye” some have called it.”

She was a gentle soul and a terrific mom. She was from Downey, Idaho. Mom met dad at a dance at Utah State University. She graduated as a home economics teacher. She insisted that she teach one year before getting married. Dad went along with this ambition she had. (What choice did he have?)

She got a teaching position in Snowflake, Arizona and completed her goal. Mom and dad got married in 1938. They got jobs in Alaska and that’s where they started their family. World War II came along and changed the world — including their world. That’s when they came back to Utah.

As I think of mom, I remember several repetitious admonitions that she had for me as a kid. I’ll share a couple of them.

The first one is appropriate this time of year, as it is baseball related. She would often say, “Come on Merrill, you’ve got to hit the ball.”

This command was used metaphorically in every situation imaginable ranging from getting my farm chores done to doing school homework to — well, anything and everything.

Everything that is, except baseball. Ironic, isn’t it? I don’t ever remember her saying, “hit the ball” when I was a kid at a baseball game.

The other thing mom told me that I want to mention here is, “you’re just as good as anybody else.” Kids need to learn that concept. It’s that good old American “all men are created equal” philosophy.

The message was don’t let anyone put you down and remember not to put anyone else down either. Moms are the best teachers kids will ever have. Their influence is immeasurable.

At times I have teased my wife that “she’s not my mother” so she shouldn’t expect me to do anything for her on Mother’s Day. That’s a convenient approach — but it’s a rotten approach.

The mother of a man’s children deserves tribute and honor. And beyond that, fathers have an important opportunity in assisting their children to remember their mother on Mother’s Day. It’s hard to measure the good memories that can be created.

It doesn’t take much. It just takes “doing something.” A hug, a kiss, a homemade card and a bouquet of dandelions can be a treasured memory.

Sometimes kids will do that sort of thing on their own when reminded of the upcoming day. Other kids may want to be more extravagant with gifts. They’ll need help.

Most moms will be happy regardless of gifts received. Motherhood alone seems to be its own reward. What a gift it is from God — Motherhood!

That knowledge is great for this weekend. But getting a heartwarming card and being served a Mother’s Day burger off the grill will be important too. — Merrill