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It’s traditional in many American families to take Mom out to eat for Mother’s Day, but this year, many a mama — more than in recent years past — will enjoy a home-cooked meal courtesy of Dad and the kids. That’s according to an online survey conducted by Hamilton Beach, the appliance maker. “While mothers like to be pampered and enjoy a day of relaxation, I believe the results of this survey are a factor of the uncertain direction of the U.S. economy,” said Mary Beth Dukes, a Hamilton Beach executive. “A home-cooked meal, preferably prepared by someone other than Mom, is memorable, and a little lighter on the wallet than a restaurant meal.” It’s also a simple yet thoughtful way to echo Pope John Paul II’s message to moms in his 1995 Letter to Women: “Thank you, women who are mothers! You have sheltered human beings within yourselves in a unique experience of joy and travail. This experience makes you become God’s own smile upon the newborn child, the one who guides your child’s first steps, who helps it to grow, and who is the anchor as the child makes its way along the journey of life.” Bon appétit, nos mères!

Kevin Bedan illustration