Then there are those who have lost one or both parents and become especially sorrowful on these days.
One thing I always tell both camps is that Mother's Day and Father's Day are not once a year -- they're every day.
I remind the first group that we should think about and reach out to our parents every day. If that's not feasible, it should be at least once a week.
I know life gets in the way. We're busy with work, our kids, and so much else. But the fact of the matter is that our parents won't be here forever. We must strive to spend as much time with them as we possibly can while they're still alive.
As for the second group, while it's normal to become more melancholy on these days -- who wouldn't with copious Facebook posts and commercials centering on these occasions? -- they should keep one thing in mind. Like all other holidays, Mother's Day and Father's Day are heavily commercialized.
In reality, they shouldn't feel any sadder on these days than every other day of the year, but the hoopla surrounding these holidays makes them feel as though they should be more wistful. But that's ludicrous. One can miss her late dad on Father's Day and Christmas Day equally, for example.
If it weren't for President Woodrow Wilson issuing a proclamation establishing Mother's Day as a national holiday in 1914 and Richard Nixon doing the same for Father's Day in 1972, there would be no official day to commemorate all our parents do for us.
And that's just the thing. We don't need a commercial or calendar to tell us that our parents deserve our love and attention on one given day. It should happen every day.
We should give our parents hugs, kisses, and gifts as often as we can; it's the least we can do for all their hard work and sacrifice.
If you're still lucky enough to have one or both parents around, hug them a little tighter tonight and tell them how much they mean to you. You can never say it enough in this lifetime.
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