The ritual

By chance, I figured out a way to celebrate Mother’s Day with my adult children, Courtney and Brett, that involved quality time together, without screens, phones or brunch.

We came up with a list of special moms, like their Aunt Nina, G-d Mother Robin, Aunt Harriet and maybe even brand new moms.

Each year we started at Trader Joes to buy them roses and then we’d spend our afternoon delivering and visiting with our happy recipients.

As we drove around Dallas I’d sit in the back seat, watching my children laugh and talk together. Nice.

Then we’d go to the cemetery to place rocks in remembrance. I’d share stories about my mom, Anne Cortell and Jimmy’s mom, Elaine Reisman.

Our tradition

I was (and am) so grateful that we all lived in the same city. However, life moved on and so did Brett. He now lives in Denver and I’m really blessed to still do our Rocks and Roses tradition with Courtney.

Mother’s Day – May 10, 2026

I arrived at Courtney’s home ready to make our flower deliveries and place rocks at the cemetery. I’d already had a lovely conversation with Brett earlier in the day while he was driving to Boulder to go hiking. All good.

While standing in her kitchen, Courtney’s husband, Kevin, came in from the garage after running some errands.

Except it wasn’t Kevin.

Instead… Brett walked into the kitchen!

I was in a state of shock. Apparently he did not go hiking in Boulder and in spite of crazy weather in Dallas, his plane arrived on schedule!!! So very special.

Like old times, we got in the car, I sat in the back seat, watched them interact, and we did our Rocks and Roses tradition.

How my story can benefit your business communication

Here are three takeaways ➡

🌹 Culture — Cultivating a positive culture through shared rituals, such as team celebrations or community volunteering can enhance collaboration and create an environment with shared values.

🌹 Communication — My son and daughter’s surprise was rooted in understanding what would make me happy. In the same way, you can strive to communicate with authenticity and empathy. This means actively listening to team members and valuing their perspectives.

🌹 Connection — Our Rocks and Roses Ritual is all about connecting with loved ones. As leaders, your ability to build genuine connections with and among your teams will foster trust and deeper engagement.

Moving forward

Not sure how to top this past Mother’s Day but I look forward to continuing our tradition.