Not that we needed any more examples of just how important mothers are, the coronavirus pandemic further emphasized how much they do and truly how much goes unnoticed. It’s cliché, but moms never get a day off from being mom. To celebrate Mother's Day, we talked to some Novi moms about their favorite memories.

Julie Maday, City Council Member
(Son Blake & Daughter Samantha)

What is your ideal Mother’s Day?
For the past 10 years, my Mother’s Day was consumed with watching my kids play in the Jags Soccer Invitational. Although not an ideal morning, especially those 7am games, our soccer families learned to celebrate and enjoy the day. The day normally started out with mimosas and an early game. With any luck, the end of the day was filled with watching one or both of my kids in the championship game. Watching my kids
have fun is all a mother could ask. Now that those days are over, my ideal day is to wake up to breakfast in bed, head out to the ITC Trail for a bike ride, then a nice dinner out with the family.

Tara Michener, Library Board Member
(Son Cameron)

What are your favorite memories of being a mother?
My favorite memories of being a mom involve attending "Light Up The Night" and seeing his eyes light up. I also love being on the PTO Board of my son's school and seeing him and his friends enjoy activities and each other.

Maureen Kelly-Nichols, Director of Women & Children Services at Ascension Providence
(Son Sean & Daughters Megan & Maeve)

What is your ideal Mother's Day?
My ideal Mother's Day is spending time with my family. It doesn't matter whether we go out or stay at home, spending time with the most important people in my life is the best gift for me!

JoAnne Purtan, Co-host of Mornings with JJ and JoAnne on 104.3 WOMC
(Daughter Lauren & Son Adam)

What is your favorite part about being a mom?
There is no greater joy than being their mom and watching them grow into wonderful young adults. I'll always cherish our family fun nights, which they now jokingly call "forced" family fun nights, and the memories from the many trips we have taken to show them this great country and the world that awaits them.

Rachael Hunter, Radio Host 99.5 WYCD
(Daughter Rachael Lynn Dooley)

What does being a mother mean to you?
To me, being a mom means loving somebody more than you knew you were capable of. The bond and love are stronger than anything I’ve ever felt! Being a mom means always being there for my daughter when she needs me and being supportive of all her endeavors whether I’m thrilled about them or not. For me, being a mom is pure joy when I can bring a smile to my daughter’s face and when I watch her achieve her life’s dreams. To this day, we still text “Good night, I love you” to each other every night.

Priya Gurumurthy, Housing & Community Development Advisory Committee (Sons Vishal Swamy & Varun Swamy)

What is your ideal Mother's Day?
Motherhood to me is a blessing! It’s carrying and caring for a life dependent on you to learn and become a good human being in this world. I have this beautiful role to play in my kids’ life in teaching them, building their self-esteem, supporting their dreams, and loving them unconditionally. I enjoy this every day irrespective of being a bad or a good day, it is so special to me. Being a mother also has taught me to appreciate my mother even more for what she has done for me.