When your family is spread out across the country you start to look for any excuse to get everyone together. If you find yourself missing your family members a little extra this week we’ve found the perfect excuse for you to plan a family reunion. May 18th is designated as Visit Your Relatives Day, and provides the perfect opportunity to start a new family tradition!

Although Visit Your Relatives Day is outside of what we traditionally think of as family oriented holidays such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Years, this day gives you the chance to pay special attention to the ones who have supported you and influenced you throughout your life.

Few things are more precious than family, and that is something worth celebrating. Here are a few ways you can celebrate your own family this Visit Your Relatives Day:

Send them a card

With everyone’s busy schedules, we know it can be challenging to get your family together on the same day. Sending your family members a card is the perfect way to make them feel special and show them that you are thinking of them.

Plan a group video call

If you and your family have to travel a good distance to see each other, a Skype group video call might be just the solution for you. Skype allows up to 25 people to participate in a group video call at one time. This is a great way to see everyone’s face and get caught up on each other’s lives.

By using Skype, you can still make your video call into an event. Send out invitations for the day and time of your call (e-invites might work best if it’s short notice), then login on the set date and enjoy the time with your loved ones!

Plan a get together

For those who have relatives that live nearby, an informal get together is always a fun option for celebrating! Request everyone bring their favorite snack, or have lemonade and cookies. Everyone will enjoy the chance to be together, and leave feeling appreciative of their close family ties.

Focus on a weak relationship

If you have a weak relationship with a specific family member that you would like to strengthen, Visit Your Relatives Day could be a good day to focus on that relationship. Let that person know you still think of them and care for them by sending them a text, card, or giving them a phone call.

Make it a family tradition

Maybe your Visit Your Relatives Day celebration went so well that you want to turn it into an annual tradition! This is a great way to set aside time to be intentional with your family and stay active in their lives.

Visit a relative

A great way to celebrate Visit Your Relatives Day is, of course, to simply drop by and visit with one of your relatives. This doesn’t have to be anything more than sitting with a relative and hearing how their day was, or phoning a relative you may not get to visit with as often. This small act has an enormous impact on the bonds you have with your relatives.

As Mother’s Day approaches, many are filled with nostalgia as they reflect on how they celebrated the holiday with their own mother during their childhood. When we are children Mother’s Day is often celebrated with handmade crafts, special meals, or flowers. However, as we get older the holiday becomes less about commercialism and more about time spent with loved ones and honoring the role your own mother played in your life.

This Mother’s Day keep in mind that this holiday isn’t just about people who are mothers, but it is about everyone who has a mother. This simple shift in mindset broadens our perspective on ways we can celebrate this day. Whether you are spending time with your own mother, or gathering with others to reflect and celebrate motherhood, here are 5 thoughtful ways you can celebrate Mother’s Day:

1. Get together of the generations

What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day than spending time with the younger and older generations within your family? This is a great opportunity to share stories about your own mothers, and experiences with motherhood. Gathering with the women in your family is a great visual of the impact mothers have had on your family and the generations to come–a great memory that will last a lifetime!

2. Help other mothers in need

One of the best ways you can celebrate Mother’s Day is to help other mothers in need. Mother Teresa once said, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” Dedicating your time on Mother’s Day to assist a mother who could use your help is a powerful and thoughtful way to honor motherhood, even if it is as simple as taking one mother to lunch.

3. Have tea with senior women in your community

As we age we realize the value of time. A great way you can make someone’s Mother’s Day extra special is to give a community member your time. Having tea or coffee with an elder woman in your community is a great way to not only brighten someone else’s day, but also enlighten your day as well.

4. Make a one of a kind booklet for your mom

Present your mother with a booklet filled with childhood pictures and handwritten notes. This booklet will have your mother feeling special and she’ll love looking back on how her family has grown over the years.

5. Plant flowers together

Planting your favorite flowers side by side is a great way to enjoy the day and create memories. As you tend to your flowers you will be able to reflect on the time you spent together and celebrate your mother all over again.