Mother’s day, rather like Valentine’s, leaves that slightly funny taste in your mouth. You know its a little bit commercial, well actually a whole lot of commercial, but equally are you going to be the one who doesn’t give your mother a card, covered in pink butterflies with a hallmark message? No way.
And anyway she did put up with you through those teenage years, so butterflies are the least we can do.
My mother and I are very close, we share the same sense of humor and much more importantly, a love of chocolates and dachshunds. We are so close that we were asked not once, but twice, to do an interview for Relative Values, a page in The UK Sunday Times magazine. You are interviewed separately, about each other. It’s rather unnerving.
The first time we did it I was 18 years old. Fresh out of school, just finding my feet. In my interview, I was asked what my mother had taught me, life lessons and all that. I thought for a moment and said “She taught me how to water ski really well” Later, reading this, my mother was furious “Oh darling, is that really all you think I taught you? I did also teach you to speak French”
When she was interviewed about me, she said that I had pretty much taken over around the age of 12, but this was said in a tender, loving voice.
Twenty years later, being interviewed again, my mother opened with “Meet my daughter Miss. Bossy Boots” And although I can’t say for sure, I’m pretty certain the tone of voice wasn’t all that tender. She was clearly still mad at me for making her write that book. Daughter of Empire. Mind you a box of Charbonnel and Walker rose and violet creams lightened the mood fairly rapidly.
Every Mother’s Day I give my mother the card with butterflies and the hall mark message, although its not needed, she knows that she is everything to me. Everything. This year though my mother needs more than butterflies, she needs a new knee.
What does your Mum need for Mother’s Day?