"Mum" - for Women

Today is International Women's Day.  Soon it is Mother's Day.  So I thought I'd share with you something I wrote for my mum recently for her birthday.

Mum

I hope you don’t think that because I say more about Dad,

that you come second

I praise my father because I’m all too aware of what a rare and precious commodity he is

But this about you

You have always been there

Constant as air

Taken for granted?

Perhaps

Cake-baker

Tear-wiper

Sheet-changer

Sick-cleaner

Tea-drinker

Friend-visit-er

Medicine-giver

Manner-teacher

Meal-maker

Phone-answerer

Hug-provider

You say your breasts are too big but I say perfect for burying brown-haired girls heads in, mopping up tears, caressing away fears

You say your stomach is too stretchy, but the flesh has carried and protected and born four babies, now women.

We stand before you and you are surprised, unbelieving that these four girls, varying in size and character, could all come from you.

You‘re a little bit sad we don’t have your blue eyes, but we’ve got your thick hair, slim wrists and ankles, your delicate nose.  Some of us have got your curves!

You seem surprised at our confidence, but it’s your unconditional love and support that provided the right sort of ground for independence to bloom.

You seem surprised at our beauty, but it’s your genes being expressed.

You seem baffled at the way we’ve taken on the world, but you set the path on adventures across Europe, India and Africa.

You seem surprised by our strength, but not just anyone could survive twins and then two more, limited pennies, countless house moves, a multitude of jobs, studies, relationship-building, disappointments, adventures, expectations, and I’m pretty sure, a whole lot more that goes unseen by the rest of us.

Perhaps we’ll never know all that you’ve sacrificed, but we’re learning. And we’re thankful.

And we realise that lots of the time, you were right, and you did know us more than we thought (only we might never tell you that)

And we realise that we’re sometimes a bit and sometimes a lot like you.

And that is not a bad thing!

Perhaps we have not told you enough how privileged and proud we are to call you ‘Mum’

Too often, you hide in the corner, when you’ve got a whole lot of treasure in you.

You say that you’re average

And I say nothing could be farther from the truth