To my three cherished daughters,
Today is Mother’s Day – the one day when I would probably be forgiven for expecting the day to be about me. Perhaps I could stay in bed until 11:00. Then I might enjoy a quiet brunch and a warm coffee and read magazines while eating chocolate for the rest of the day.
It’s wishful thinking, I know. As I learned quite early on in motherhood, nothing is ever about me anymore. It is all about you – for this season anyway.
You may not understand right now but Mother’s Day isn’t a happy day for everyone. Some mummies might feel disappointed if the day doesn’t work out how they expected; some might feel unappreciated; others might not have a very good relationship with their own mummy. Then there are those for whom it can be a really hard day because they would like to have children of their own but are unable.
For this reason I am careful to count my blessings on days like today. One, two, three; three beautiful girls who fill my life with joy, even when they steal my sleep, bicker constantly, refuse the dinner I make and give me wrinkles and grey hair.
The thing is, you make me a mother. Without you three I could still be a nurturer, a teacher, a carer, a supporter, a consoler, a cook, a cleaner, a singer, an organiser, a wife and a friend. But these things do not make me a mother; only you do that.
Yesterday, my darling Scarlett – at a mere four years old – you told me to wait where I was and ran off to get, what I assumed was, a Mother’s Day card while we were out at the shops. You then told me you had “nothing behind your back” and asked for my debit card at the checkout and paid for the item that “was not behind your back”.
This gesture was more than enough for me to feel cherished this year. Your thoughtfulness, Kyla’s beautiful heart and Thea’s snuggles are all the Mother’s Day gifts I need.
In truth, being your mother can be a painful-privilege, a burdensome-blessing, a discouraging-delight. Not because of the hardships of motherhood – of which there are many – but because I care so deeply for you.
When I was younger, I used to ask my own mother, “When is it Children’s Day?” to which I would always receive the cliched response, “Every day is Children’s Day.” While this may be true on some level, I now feel perhaps every day is Mother’s Day too. I get to be your mother fulltime and that is a daily gift to me. I am in fact the one who is blessed frequently because I get to spend my days with you three. It isn’t always easy – or enjoyable for that matter – but anything worthwhile takes a bit of stamina.
So, Happy Mother’s Day to me today and every other day. Thank you, beautiful girls, for blessing my life. No earthly gift can ever truly compare.
Love,
Mum
