What Mother’s Day Means to Moms

the Red River Zoo offered free admission for moms and grandmas

FARGO, N.D. — Finding out you’re going to be a mother for the first time doesn’t always come easy.

“I was really scared but I was excited. I kind of just had a feeling I wanted to be a mom my whole life. So it was really exciting. I was nervous when I found out I was going to have two, but the first one was exciting,” said Amanda Christensen, a Fargo mother of two.

Once the baby is born, things don’t necessarily change either.

“It’s exciting and terrifying at the same time. You’re constantly worrying about everything,” said Erica Anderson, a Moorhead mother of one.

It’s what unconditional love for their child looks like in addition to all the other duties that come with motherhood.

“She has to put in a lot of time and money and effort to make sure we get education, get to go to school, get to eat, get to have a nice home and clothes,” said Kali Cullen.

But it certainly doesn’t go unnoticed.

“My mom is really special to me because she does so much for me, she provides for me, she’s a really great supporter,” Cullen said.

For all that our moms do, the Red River Zoo is trying to help them feel some extra love.

“Mother’s Day is our chance to give back to the community and invite all the moms and grandmas to the zoo for free. Really it’s just a chance for families to have something to do and spend time with their mom and make some quality memories,” said Jeremiah Gard, with the Red River Zoo.

Because just as the selfless woman she is, mom never needs anything more than what she already has.

“Spending it with family. You’re daughter, your grandchildren if you have them. And husband too. He’s kind of in there at the tail end. Without him, I wouldn’t have her so you know,” said Georgene Stone, Anderson’s mother.

“I would throw in a nice cup of coffee and a nap too,” Anderson said.

Spending all that time together means you’re bound to learn a thing or two from her.

“To be confident and to not let anyone push you around,” Cullen said.

“I think she shows you love and that’s the most important thing a mom teaches you,” Christensen said.

“I learned a lot of being patient and kind of rolling with things the way she had to deal with my brother and myself and take a lot of that and apply it to this one,” Anderson said.

Pretty soon she’ll have to apply it to one more.

“There’s one on the way. It’s going to be a surprise,” Anderson said.

Her kid may even grow up to be a mom too, adding to the list of women who aren’t just cherished on Mother’s Day but every single one.

Mother’s Day turned into one of the busiest days of the year for the zoo. A close second is Boo at the Zoo which happens every October.