Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday – a day of such mixed up emotions.

I obviously think a lot about my own Mum. I wonder how different my life would be if she were here. I think I might feel less stressed, better supported and more confident in my parenting. I would love to ask her what I was like as a small child and whether I was as difficult to parent as The Little Miss can be at times. I suspect I was just like her!

I like to think that Mum would be really proud of me; that she would be happy with the way the children are turning out. In fact, I think she would be proud of the way me and my sister have turned out. I fully believe that she considered that we were her greatest achievements and I remain abundantly grateful for all the time and energy and love she invested in us.
Instead of having my Mum for support

I have a few wonderful women who are around. I totally believe that I am a better mother for having them in my lives, helping me make decisions and sharing the load of Mothering. I am grateful for my sister – her unending support both emotional and physical makes a huge difference to me. My lovely friend Emma is another person who makes mothering manageable and bearable. I appreciate her support and care for me and children and husband.

I believe that as we need to work hard to care for the mothers in our communities; to nurture, love and support each other. We need to build each other up and share the load of parenting, for when we parent together we are more effective and our children benefit from the extended ‘mothering’ they experience.

So today, I went to church. I cried a little and smiled more. I cooked a lovely roast dinner for my family and my Dad and then we went to the beach with Emma and her children. The kids went body-boarding (in March!!) and Emma and I drank pink fizz.

Thankyou to everyone who helps me be a better Mum. Your support, love and care has not gone unnoticed or unappreciated.