Lets Talk about Mum
The first real word that is uttered from a baby mouths is “mom”. This is a monumental moment in a series of significant events from birth to death. As a baby, your first word was spoken to the one person who will nurture guide teach advise comfort, strengthen and forgive you over your life. Your Mother. She will happily and willingly do the work of twenty, for free, to make your life better. So lets talk about mom’s mum’s and mummy dearest. But before we go there I want you to considered the word mother which is a noun (name). I think that mother should be listed in the dictionary as verb as mother implies actions of mothering. More broadly how many of us have mothered a boyfriend partner husband or person in need.
Being a Mother
I am proud to call myself a mother of four wonderful children. I remember all the moments with them, the good, the bad as well as the sad that made me their mum. All the little ordinary moments that rolled into one big bubble of happiness. That wonderful feeling of having created nurtured and protected the best part of you. To be a mum is to embrace emotional vulnerability. You do your best to love and help steer your children in the right direction but you don’t always get it right and they don’t always listen to your advice. Yes of course we will make mistakes but who doesn’t. Looking back in time I acknowledge that there is no way to be a perfect mother but a million ways to be a good one.
A Mother’s Day Story – The Power of Love
Mother’s day is the celebration surrounding the role of the mother in the family. It was created to honour maternal bonds, motherhood and role of mothers in the society. Mum’s didn’t come up with Mother’s Day as an easy way to get pancakes in bed. The origin of Mother’s Day as we know it took place in the early 1900s. A woman named Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia started a campaign to lobby for an official holiday honouring mothers in 1905, the year her own mother died. She held a memorial service on May 1907 at her late mother’s church in Grafton West Virginia and within five years virtually every state was observing the day.
The first large scale celebration of Mother’s Day was in 1908 across all states in America. In 1914, US President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation making Mother’s Day an official holiday, to take place the second Sunday of May. Although Mother’s Day is not a public holiday it is a legal national holiday observed on the second Sunday in May in the United States and Australia. Mother’s Day is celebrated across the world, in more than 50 countries, though not all countries celebrate it on the same day.
Histories Best Mothers
Although Anna Jarvis put Mother’s Day on the calendar as a day dedicated to expressing love and gratitude to mothers, acknowledging the sacrifices women make for their children.
I was not surprised to find a list of 25 of history’s greatest mothers when I was researching Mother’s Day. Here are my top five. Mother Teresa a Catholic nun who was a spiritual mother to many. She dedicated her life to caring for the destitute and dying in the slums of Calcutta India and in 1979 was given the Nobel Peace Prize. After her death was canonised as Saint Teresa. Indira Gandhi who was India’s first female prime minister and a shining example of female leadership and role model for female self-determination and independence. J.K. Rowling creative mother of Harry Potter whose life at Hogwort’s have entertained and inspired generations of our children. Hoelun the original badass single mother caring for seven children under the age of 10 in the 12th century. She was a skilled warrior and from all accounts demonstrated courage and strategic smarts to care and nurture her children and one Genghis Khan who we know from history went on to greatness and leave his mark on the world stage.
Mother Love
Closer to home is Jane McGrath wife of Australian cricketer Glenn McGrath. After being diagnosed with breast cancer she set up a charitable organisation dedicated to supporting women with breast cancer. The McGrath Foundation raises funds for cancer awareness notably through events like Pink ribbon. Last, but not least is my mum Albertine Agnes (Mullart) Jenkins who immigrated from The Netherand’s in 1956 at the age of 18. She embraced a new home-land of Australia the only way she knew how, “head on” with vigour and a determination to find her way in a sea of strangers. She was smart wilful energetic funny and extremely loving. Mum grounded and supported me without question. She gave me a safe place to go when my world was crumbling around me through foolish actions. Mum was my hero!
All women embody a MOTHERS spirit of care commitment creativity dedication love and resilience. Qualities required to navigate children through the life’s slings and arrows of life.
How to Celebrates Mother’s Day
There are plenty of ways to celebrate Mum and make her feel special. Going out to brunch or getting a Hallmark card and a bunch of flowers will do the trick. Personally I preferred to show how much I cared by making cards, baking cakes and writing letters over the years to show my mum how much I loved and appreciated her.
How will you show love to your mummy dearest? Yes, you can pick up the phone, take Mum for a walk (if you live nearby), send a bouquet of flowers or face book post something sentimental, like pictures of fluffy cats, cute animals or cheeky kids. Irresistible, right! But what would mum really like for Mother’s Day?
Need Mother’s Day inspiration?
There are many ways to say I love you MUM! But if you are on the quest for something wonderful to give mum this Mother’s Day and want to spend quality time with your mum, having fun and making happy memories. An appropriate occasion to make you amazing mum the perfect cocktail. Introducing our Rose Simple Syrup for Mother’s Day. Why not try our Rose syrup to make a delicious champagne spritz.