For fifty plus springtides the middle Sunday in March afforded my siblings (Ian, Helen) and me opportunity to bestow a well-earned thank you to our much-loved mum (Maggie). A warm, funny, caring, and loving parent who, along with our equally admirable father, ensured our fledgling years were awash with encouragement, positivity, laughter, and security.
The above reverential paragraph may seem cliched or trite; yet I make no apologies for such gushing deference to our mother, who passed away in October 2021. A loss rendering subsequent Mother’s Days as times of melancholic reflection for my siblings and I.
With today being Mother’s Day, I thought, as a coping mechanism against no longer being able to ply Maggie with flowers and Marks & Spencer vouchers on these occasions, I’d write some fond words about our much-missed mother.
When she was with us, these days were events where mum provided a veritable smorgasbord of good food, laughter, and tales of yore. A raconteur par excellence, these oft whimsical yarns ensuring this ‘force of nature’ held family and loved ones captivated.
In return her audience paid dutiful homage. Not that she sought reverence, it was automatically forthcoming because of the overt warmth, mirth, and aura she exuded.
As she held court on this day of thanks to mothers in many parts of the globe, she treated her brood to humorous (sometimes bawdy) yarns and sayings. Some stories heard previously yet delivered with such mischief and a cheeky twinkle in her eye the assembled audience cared not one jot.
Maggie not only enriching my life immeasurably, but also through frequent interaction in childhood, my children Jonathon and Rachel. My thirtysomething progeny still often recounting the fun episodes, songs she had for any occasion, and offbeat sayings from their ‘force of nature’ grandma.
This evening I plan to raise a glass of Pinot Grigio to the old lady. While doing so looking heavenwards, thanking her for the gifts of love, laughter, and knowledge she’d bestowed upon me for over half a decade. Although not a religious man, thanking God I was blessed to have that wonderful lady as my mother.
Post-toast, no doubt I will hear mum’s voice enter my head, mischievously inquiring “Why are you toasting me with that crap?… You know I hate Pinot Grigio. It tastes like gnats pee!!”
Seriously, though, despite controlling my emotions being easier said than done on a day like today, I know mum wouldn’t want any of her kids maudlin on Mother’s Day. From my own perspective, I’m certain she’d want me to concentrate on the many great things enriching my life.
Such as, focussing on the campervan festival trips I have planned; in the vehicle purchased from an inheritance bequeathed by mater and my dad. Maggie would no doubt urge a positive reflection on an upcoming Algarve holiday, a Durham cottage weekend, new specs I pick up on Tuesday and the dental appointment I have on the 21st of March.
Ok, the last two are stretching it a bit with regards ‘things to look forward to’, but in my uneventful existence you’ve got to take any pluses you can!… After all, having a spare pair of specs will come in handy if my current ones fall off my face and are crushed by a passing steamroller… Well, mum did teach me as a kid to prepare for any eventuality!
Happy Mother’s Day Mum! As I suspect your favourite shop won’t have branch up there, I’m sorry there’s no M&S vouchers, or indeed flowers… And even if there is a M&S in heaven, have you seen the bloody postage costs of getting my card, flowers and voucher delivered there?!
I will, though, raise a glass to toast you and smile wryly; a thank you for touching my life so wonderfully.
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