mother's day

When I think of my mum, so many things come to mind. I think of how she loved us so well as small children. Reading to us at bedtime, cooking us dinner from scratch every single day; answering the endless questions we would ask about anything and everything; going to search for my springy pink keyring that I lost on the beach - going out of her way to find this precious belonging which she had told me to leave at home because she could foresee the heart break that lay ahead. I think of her delicate feminine figure, walking down the garden to put the compost on the heap and getting lost amongst her carefully tended flowers. I think of the long plait running down her back, keeping her long hazel locks out of her eyes. I think of her gentle voice that so rarely shouted at us when berating our misbehaviour. 

Watching my friends around me start to bring children into this world, I see them cope with the tiredness of a newborn, and the way they give their all to meeting the needs of the babe in their arms, and find myself in even greater awe of my own mother and how she did this four times over. I think of all the energy and love she gave us as infants that we will never be able to remember. I love that my Mum and Dad have shared in this journey of parenthood, sticking side by side, a united force throughout. I love that whenever I tried to be sneaky and ask my Mum for something and she said, 'no', I would approach Dad with the same question and his first response would be, 'have you asked Mum?' They could see right through my childishness, seeking to get the desired response from one parent if the other hadn't given it. There was something wonderful about knowing that they were on the same page with decision making. That if one said no, the other would stand by this.

As an adult,  my appreciation of my Mother takes on a new form, seeing her love in a new light, seeing the sacrifices she has made for us in so very many ways over the course of our lives so far. I am so thankful that I have a wonderful, steadfast mother that I can call on  for help, drawing on her fountains of knowledge, that I might grow and learn and become a shadow of the brilliance that she reflects.

Happy Mother's Day, Mum. I love you & all that you do for us.

With love, your daughter xxx