Gosh darnnit, Tim. Get your shiz together, mate!
Well, let's discuss how hard Mother's Day would be for some of the Animorphs characters, specifically what roles mothers play in the series.
Ask a mod to change the topic's name, and then this can be a useful discussion.
Edit*
So in an attempt to make this a relevant topic, let us examine what Mother's Day would have been like for the Animorphs, not just through the Animorphs themselves, but through various other characters, species, and (mayhaps) cultures. First, the mothers themselves: namely, whose mothers, their roles in the series, and specific moments between mother and child which could help explain their relationship. Secondly, what the mother role means to those with mothers--humans in general and Animorphs characters specifically--and those without--Yeerks and the Chee to name a couple.
Of the six Animorphs, only three currently have something akin to stable relationships with their mothers: Jake, Rachel, and Cassie. Marco's mother is Visser One, and doesn't see her son as a free human being until near the end of the series. Tobias' mother was forced to abandon him due to memory loss and blindness. Ax's mother is still alive, but he hasn't seen her since he boarded the Dome ship with Elfangor--you know, to fight Yeerks and stuff. So throughout the series we have examples of present and absent mothers.
I'm wondering how certain Animorphs would have acted on Mother's Day. One can assume that Jake and Tom and their dad would take their mother out for brunch or dinner or what have you, maybe attend a family dinner to celebrate mother and grandmother. There would be flowers, and the usual begrudging appreciation for their mom that is seen in teenagers on Mother's Day. I can totally see Jake thinking, "I love my mom and everything, and I want to appreciate her, but I also have things to do." Likewise, I can see Tom (specifically Tom's Yeerk) actively expressing his indifference to his family and being mistaken for the moody teenager who would rather be anywhere else, and be doing anything else than wasting the day pampering mom. Now, picture how Jake might feel once his mom gets taken by the Yeerks. Mayhaps it wasn't around the time of Mother's Day when all that was going on, but one imagine the sort of state Jake's mind would have been in regardless.
Rachel's mother provides an interesting case: both a single, working mother, and something of a badass/hard-ass in her own right. I can see Naomi getting handmade gifts from Sara and Jordan, while Rachel buys a gift, or does some other nice gesture like make her breakfast, or take her mom out to a day at the spa. We see a few times in the series that Naomi is often too busy to play the same role Jake's and Cassie's mothers play. Sometimes Rachel has to take care of her siblings and make dinner because, being a lawyer, Naomi can't. She has to provide for her family alone--although, she must get a nice amount of child support from her ex-husband. But even when Naomi's life is sent spiralling down into the Yeerk war by the end of the series, she still puts her daughters' well-being first. She is the mama-bear.
Poor Tobias, we all know, was raised without parents. With two fathers (his biological and step fathers) dead, and his mother absent due to aforementioned circumstances, Tobias was shuffled between two relatives who could care less about him, one of whom was an aunt. Was their a genuine attempt initially by his aunt to care even a little about Tobias? Did Tobias make cards for his aunt on Mother's Day? What of that nice neighbour lady who used to let Tobias pick berries in her backyard: did he see her as a mother figure? When Tobias' actual mother, Loren, is back in the picture, there's an attempt by both to establish some kind of relationship, but it's...well, the definition of awkwardness. In Animorphs 49: the Diversion, Tobias actually gets jealous of Loren's dog. Yet, suddenly he finds his mother in his life, and he's hopeful.
Cassie's experiences were probably similar to Jake's, only she still gets to see her mother even after the Yeerks find out their identities.
Marco and his father probably visit the grave of his mom, which is made all the more difficult once Marco discovers that she isn't actually dead. Imagine how much more difficult this day would be once he's aware that his mother is out there helping the biggest threat to humanity. Given that said discovery took place in Animorphs #5, and Eva isn't freed until Animorphs #45, Marco faces roughly two or three mother's days with this information. That must suck. Then consider the fact that he gets a step-mother that he might have to show appreciation for. Maybe they suddenly go to brunch or dinner, like Jake or Cassie's family, except with the fact that Marco knows the truth, and must continue playing out a harsh lie.
I find myself asking how Ax would have reacted. Do the Andalites have similar days dedicated to mothers? Feel free to provide examples, because I personally cannot remember Ax reflecting solely on his mother, apart from the homesickness he feels in the series. Given how many rituals Andalites perform daily, I imagine there could possibly be an annual ritual commemorating one's mother. I think Ax would have had some thoughts to out down in his little Human culture diary about Mother's Day.
Then there are examples of mother figures not existing at all. The Yeerks and the Chee are two such races created without a biological mother figure. Even animals have mothers, though they play different--but somewhat similar--roles in the development of their young. A Yeerk is born as one in a litter of hundreds and sometimes thousands of other Yeerks, from the remains of three deceased Yeerks. They have no emotional attachment to their parents--given the latter--and one could argue--as many fans have--that this influences a Yeerk's development, especially where empathy is concerned. Yeerks do have hosts, however, and most likely have thoughts about such a human tradition. Edriss, Eva's Yeerk, actually sees herself, and not Allison Kim, as the mother of Madra and Darwin--the children of the latter and Hildy Gervais. Of course, Visser One has some interesting thoughts on what constitutes love--one of which being infesting her former host's children and forcing them to love her. Then, of course, there is Edriss' other host, Eva, another mother.
The Chee consider the Pemalites as more than just creators; they feel genuine love for the dog-like race driven into extinction by the Howlers. Some Chee might have posed as mothers themselves, similar to how Mr. King poses as Erek's father. Naturally, one can assume that the Chee don't go so far into their roles as to actually celebrate the Androids posing as a mother figure.
The Hork-Bajir do have females who act in mother roles, unlike the Yeerks and the Chee, but not a lot is written about the sort of bond that a mother Hork-Bajir has with her child.
Most of these thoughts don't come to many conclusions. But I'd be interested in hearing what everyone thinks.
