Mothers Day Musings

Today is Mothers Day and it is bittersweet. This year will be ten years since my mum died. I have constantly thought of her today, very rarely a day goes by without me thinking about her. I thought about her yesterday while looking at the wombats at Healesville Sanctuary, which were her favourite animals, or when my kids do something funny or get a good school report or an awards, I know she would be proud of them. Holidays and special occasions I think about her more than normal. Mothers day, Christmas, Easter, Birthdays. I feel it start up in the morning with thoughts of presents I had given her and by the end of the day I am holding back tears.

This morning I woke up quite early, the kids were still asleep and I got up, had a coffee and took a few moments to think of my mother and miss her. I was 17 when she died and I wish she had lived long enough to meet her grandchildren, I know she would be as proud of them as I am. Soon my kids woke up, I was ordered back to bed while they did 'secret mothers day stuff' with my partner while I wasted time on social media.

Soon the kids came running into the bedroom with presents, which were actually quite nice. I got the black pair of boots I wanted, a lovely soft warm blanket and a puzzle which I can colour in, plus some cards the kids made at school and some store bought cards.  I stayed in bed a bit longer (in the sense of about an hour and a half) as my partner helped the kids make blueberry pancakes and my partner brought me a coffee ( At that moment I considered him a lifesaver). The pancakes were eaten (and were delicious) I got dressed and put on my new boots and have constantly been asked every 5 minutes if I like my presents. It was cute for the fist three times, now I want to stab myself in the eye with a fork whenever they decide to ask me. I have also received uncountable hugs and told 'Happy Mothers day" about 100 times. Which I have loved.

After I got up and dressed, I was on my laptop and scrolling through blog posts and facebook where I saw a lot of posts about mothers day. It got me thinking. Why do we only appreciate our mothers on mothers day? Why do we not appreciate them on other days of the year and show it? I am not taking about presents, I am talking about simple things such as hugs, saying things like thank you and I love you and doing little things like helping with the housework. I know I am guilty of not always appreciating my mother when she was still alive, I was lazy, expected her to clean and cook and very rarely thanked her for all she did.

I was also thinking about people who do not get along with their mothers, who do not have their mothers in their lives for various reasons. I wonder how they feel about this day? Do they feel sad? Do mothers look at their own kids on Mothers Day morning and wish their mothers had made an effort? Or that they had made more of an effort with their mothers?

Show appreciation to your mother this Mothers Day, Thank her for all she has done, appreciate her and continue to do so once mothers day is over and, if you are like me and your mother is no longer on this earth, I am sending you a big hug. I know your pain.

Happy Mothers day.