When Chris Jones, Plant Therapy’s founder and CEO, talks about his mom, Jan, his face lights up with a mix of admiration and amusement. Loyal, generous, kind, and endlessly adventurous, Jan is the kind of mom who says yes to just about anything—especially if it means spending time with her kids. Whether it’s hunkering down for a Korean drama marathon (her favorite) or leaping out of an airplane at 13,000 feet, she shows up wholeheartedly. She meets people exactly where they are and makes every moment together feel like the best one yet.
Chris is the third of six kids, part of a pack of brothers who kept things rowdy. “We were wild,” he laughs. “I got stitches more times than I can count before I even started school.” Through it all, Jan was strong, patient, and steady. “I gave her a lot of grief growing up,” he admits. “But as adults, we’ve grown so close. She’s the best mom—and somehow an even better grandmother.”
One summer, Chris got hooked on extreme sports—skydiving, base jumping, the works. After getting his skydive license, he planned a jump with one of his brothers and casually invited Jan to come along. “She didn’t hesitate,” Chris says. “She was 70 at the time and jumped right out of the plane with us. That wasn’t even her first time.”
That day, three generations took the plunge together: Jan, three of her sons, and one of her grandchildren. “It created a memory I’ll always cherish,” Chris says. And it wasn’t a one-off. Jan has zip-lined, bungee-jumped, white water rafted, and roughed it in remote places around the world—all with a smile.
Not every adventure comes with adrenaline. Sometimes, it looks like driving 15 miles an hour for hours behind your sons, nephews, and grandkids as they pedal through a 100-mile bike ride. “She trailed us the entire way, hazard lights flashing, honking if cars came too close,” Chris recalls. “She kept us stocked with snacks, water, encouragement—whatever we needed. That’s just who she is.”
Jan’s desire to support others extends far beyond her family. She’s lived and served in places many would find uncomfortable—an orphanage in Africa with no running water or electricity, 18 months in the Philippines, and later this year, she’s heading to Tanzania to keep doing what she does best: helping. “She never needs recognition,” Chris says. “She leads by quiet, powerful example.”
Amid all her wild adventures and tireless service, Jan is just as remarkable for the way she makes people feel at home. “She is just so easy to love and be around,” Chris shares. “She’s the queen of making people comfortable—comfort foods, a cozy home, a fire in the fireplace. She loves to serve, and that’s how she shows her friends and family that she loves them. She also has a wicked sense of humor and is just incredibly grateful, always.”
This year, Chris is gifting his mom a few things that encourage her to take a moment for herself—something she rarely does. He picked out Evoke Velvet Glow Body Oil, the Frankincense & Argan Roll-On, and a few of Plant Therapy’s newest candles. “She isn’t great at pampering herself,” he says, “but she creates the coziest spaces—her home is always spotless and smells amazing. I know she’ll love these.”
Jan doesn’t just tell people she loves them—she shows it. Through service, through presence, through a perfectly timed joke or a pan of something warm in the oven. This Mother’s Day, we celebrate her not only for the incredible mom she is to Chris and his siblings, but for the example she sets for all of us.
