Local doctor weighs in on the significance of Mother's Day

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Today's the day to go the extra mile for mom, but as we celebrate her with flowers and brunch this Mother's Day, it's important to remember the role she plays in her children's lives year round.

"So often the mom is the heart of the family," said Licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Nicole Ranttila. "Mom's historically were raised socially to be not only the heart and the emotions of the family, but also have a healthy sense of leadership and direction for the family. So it's that beautiful balance of emotions and logic and leadership, that just makes mom so special," she said.

Ranttila says the mother and father both have their important respective roles, but a good balance between the two is also important for a healthy home.

"Those are children's first examples of role models and their life and of relationships and how we treat one another," said Ranttila. "So even if two parents aren't together, how they treat one another is huge. And how that shapes kids lives in learning how they want to be treated, and how they treat other," he said.

Ranttila says finding different ways to show care and appreciation for moms should be done throughout the year.

"I think it's amazing to celebrate this one day. At the same time. I think part of self reflection and gratitude is reminding ourselves that we have these people in our lives every day. So never hesitate to say thank you never hesitate to look someone in the eye and tell them that you appreciate them," Ranttila said.
It's also important to remember these days can be hard to bear for those who have lost loved ones.

"As someone who misses her mother very deeply on Mother's Day, one thing I found is that we keep their love with us. They may not be here physically, but their love stays with us," said Ranttila. "It becomes important to either celebrate other people who love on us all year round two, we still get to talk to every day, maybe still talk to that person and also one thing I personally have found very helpful is to dedicate whether it's the money you might have spent the time you would have spent towards that mom who's not here into something that is community service, or volunteer or an organization that could use your help. So keep that love alive, even if you can't quite direct it at who you want to," she said.