Mothers and students eating, speaking, and listening to each other fill a ballroom at the InterContinental Hotel as they attend the annual Mother-Son Brunch. They all share in the wonderful experience this event brings, their minds and hearts open to each other.
This year, Jesuit once again held the Mother-Son Brunch to honor our mothers and thank them for how much they influence our lives. On Sunday, February 2, hundreds came to highlight the special relationship between a mother and her son.
This year, the Mother-Son Brunch was held in the Garden Court at the InterContinental Hotel in Dallas from 9:00-11:30 AM. Tickets were $30, and a photographer was available from 9:00-9:45 AM for an additional charge, giving those who attended fifteen minutes to sit down before the liturgy started at ten o’clock. Shortly after the liturgy, attendants ate brunch and commenced the process of strengthening and forming relationships. This yearly event tries its best to thank Jesuit mothers for all they do.
The brunch initially “started out years ago as a Valentine’s Brunch for Mothers and Sons as a way to celebrate the special relationship mothers have with their sons,” explains Mrs. Julie Shannon, Co-Chair of the Jesuit Mother-Son Brunch. Even though the target date of Valentine’s Day can’t always be met because of date conflicts, Mrs. Shannon says that the “the goal is still the same – a beautiful morning for mothers and sons.” Tristan Hitt ’15, agreeing with Mrs. Shannon, says, “it was a wholesome bonding experience where we were able to acknowledge what our mothers do for us and also display our gratitude.”
Even though this event is always a great opportunity to spend some quality time with your mother, according to Mrs. Elliott Co-Chair of the Jesuit Mother-Son Brunch, it also provides a great opportunity for mothers to meet “[their son’s] friends and their mothers,” and will encourage the formation of new relationships.
It is very difficult to gather so many people in one place, so this annual brunch serves as the perfect opportunity to socialize and meet new people. Commenting on this, Jackson Slaughter ’15 says, “This year was pretty fun because all of my friends got together, and we were able to introduce each other to our parents because some of us had never met each other’s parents.” Tristan Hitt shares a similar experience and says, “It was a bonding experience both between mothers and their sons as well as mothers and other mothers, etc.” All in all, this event successfully allows students to strengthen bonds; however, this event can’t be successfully executed without prior planning.
Both Mrs. Shannon and Mrs. Elliott have planned the events for two years and emphasize that good organization is absolutely the key for executing the brunch. With every little detail marked down in their books, the Co-Chairs prepare so that, when they encounter inevitable last minute changes and signups for a thousand-person-plus brunch, they can maintain order.
Mrs. Elliott explains that although she has planned the event in the past, but each year brings a unique set of challenges. For example, Mrs. Elliott says that she changed “the dinning area from upstairs to downstairs…assigned a new coordinator,” and “changed the menu a bit”. Commenting on the floor change, Mrs. Shannon says, “We are going with the flow… otherwise the brunch is very traditional in how it looks and the content of the program.” Variables constantly change from year to year, and this year, the organization decided to change their invitations. In the past, the invitations were all mailed, but this year, the invitations were sent to parents’ emails. This shift explains that the brunch changes with the times; even so, the brunch never loses its significance and always brings people together.
The senior speeches formed the highlights of the event. These speeches ranged from serious to humorous and were all straight from the seniors’ hearts. Mrs. Shannon explains, “Their moms don’t know they are going to speak so it is a surprise to them and the boys always share lovely things about their moms.” Each year, these speeches surprise both students and mothers, and this time is likely to be the favorite aspect of the brunch for the attendants.
Although this event lets mothers know how truly special and committed they are, thanking Jesuit mothers shouldn’t be restricted to a yearly event. We should always remember to express how much our mothers mean to us. After all, incorporating our love for others into our daily lives, makes a Jesuit student a Jesuit student.
