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“A Mother is she who can take the place of all others but whose place no one else can take “ – Cardinal Mermillod

I once heard someone say that we should celebrate our mothers every day, that there should not be a specific day called “Mother’s Day”. Initially, I agreed – we SHOULD be celebrating moms every day. I’m a mom, I want to be recognized for all I do for my family, my kids. But then I gave it some actual thought. I thought about my own mom. I thought about the years she has spent mothering.

It starts off with a newborn and the untold sleepless hours, the walking up and down hallways rocking and singing, the countless nappies, bottles washed, and teeny-tiny outfits changed and washed changed and washed. Fast forward to a messy toddler running down the same hall, smearing peanut butter fingers on white walls, throwing themselves backwards in fits of rage, falling over invisible obstacles. A child, learning to read, crying every time they don’t get their own way, demanding tea parties and Lego games and just one more puzzle, always hungry but “not for THAT”. A preteen sulking and begging for more screen time, just one more minute before bed, another snack, another lift to a sports event or a friend’s house, help with homework that turns into a war. The teen who stays firmly shut-up in their room, music in their ears, eyes on a screen, the same eyes roll at every question asked, the sigh when asked to do something, anything, just please don’t stay on your bed all day. The young adult who knows it all, is out all night and can’t understand your angst, is busy and important and finds time for their friends but just can’t seem to manage longer than an hour at a family lunch. The newlyweds who come round for dinner on a Thursday night and are happy to see you but also happy to leave at the end of the evening. The new parents who drop grandkids off with a grateful hug and dash to their cars to escape their roles for just a moment, “Mom, please take them for a few hours, I need a break”.

The Mothering never stops. The list goes on and on, and through it all, Mom remains the constant. The one to wipe the tears, make the food, listen to the stories, offer the advice, open her arms and her heart and her home. She is everyone and everything all rolled into one.

Should it be said that we should celebrate her every day? Sure. She definitely deserves it. But, lets be honest, we would soon forget and that one day forgotten would become many days forgotten. No, let us stick to that one special day a year where we take the time to acknowledge our mums, to say “Thank You”, to spoil her a bit, make her feel loved. And perhaps this year, we can go the extra mile for our mothers and do something a bit more than tea in bed and a card. Maybe we can dig deep and write her a letter to thank her for the things she thinks go unnoticed, maybe we can set the table and treat her to a lavish lunch and shower her with gifts. Most of all, maybe we can show her, in as many ways possible, that we love her and that we appreciate her.