A Day for Mothers

In my part of the world, today is Sunday, 8th May – Mothers Day. Celebrated at different times around the world, it is significant everywhere to recognise and give thanks for our mothers. To all the mothers, and those who have had a mother – that should include everyone – I wish you a wonderful day today.

As a child, Mothers Day in our household meant breakfast in bed for Mum (and Dad too) usually consisting of lukewarm milky coffee, porridge and half cooked crumpets with plum jam an inch thick. This was followed by the presentation of hand drawn cards that my sisters and I had agonised over for hours and hours hiding under the kitchen table so Mum would never guess what we were doing (!).

Following a sumptuous baked dinner (leg of lamb with all the trimmings) and fruit, jelly and icecream for dessert (quite a treat) at lunchtime, we then made the annual journey to the Woronora cemetery in the southern suburbs of Sydney, to visit the extended family we had never known. Grandparents, aunties, uncles and if we were allowed to wander around, we could even find great grand parents. With armloads of white chrysanthemums, we roamed the old headstone area (Dad’s family) through to the Rose Garden (Mum’s family) to prettify the graves and memorials while our father weeded a year’s worth of over growth. We then played chase up and down the narrow paths, hide and seek with our father, and then lined up to sing to our relatives that we were sure drifted among us, unseen as ghosts or angels.

My own mother died on Mothers Day, while I was pregnant with my child who would die as an adult last year. In all those years since her death, this day has been one of sadness and memories, until this year. Losing my own child seems for me, to have completed a circle of grief begun so long ago. This year, my children whisked me away for an early Mothers Day dinner last night, and this evening we will take a trip to the cinema, and take up a full row – we are a large family. We will remember their brother and my son with silly stories of the jokes he would play on us, and his gleeful chuckle as he laughed at the world.

Purple Moon has made a rather delightful dress, the Mum dress

Credits

Dress: Mum by Purple Moon

Boots: Provence boots by Mon Tissu

Jewellery: Maracuja by Kunglers Extra

Hair: Moa by 69

Skin: Emily – Reds – by Ugly Duck