[You can listen to the below, as live on BBCR2, here]
As the card shops and flower ads keenly remind us, it's Mothering Sunday this weekend – a day when we celebrate Mums, motherhood and the influence of mothers in society. And there is, of course, a lot to celebrate, as the Jewish proverb reminds us: God could not be everywhere so he created Mothers. This Mothers Day will be a particularly special one for me – I’ll be exactly 37 weeks pregnant on Sunday, meaning baby Duke is fully cooked and could make her appearance any day… (Oh my!)
Now there are many things that I’ve done over the past eight months to prepare for the birth of my baby and impending motherhood. Of course there’s the nursery to sort / build/ paint, the medical appointments and scans to attend, NCT classes if that’s your kind of thing and that big buggy purchase. But a modern-day right of passage prior to becoming a Mum that we have - admittedly - stolen from the US, is the baby shower.
The point of this celebration, or so my researching tells me, is to shower the mother-to-be with gifts and wisdom before she embarks on her new life chapter.
Well I had my baby shower a couple of weeks ago and this did indeed happen! And there was one gift in particular that I – and I hope in time, my daughter – will always treasure.
Each of the girls there had written their (sometimes lengthy!) life advice, amusing nods to embarrassing stories that will, one day, need explaining, touching references to attributes they hoped our little girl would inherit from both me and my husband and general wise and kind words to guide someone starting out on planet earth. All of this had then been compiled into a seriously special book.
So, I thought I would share some of my favourites with you this morning:
“Offering to make someone a cup of tea when they have had a bad day, or creating a spag bol (even from a jar) to show you care has the power to lift people more than you will know.” Swiftly followed by another foodie tip, “Never underestimate the power of a milk chocolate biscuit. ”
And rather poetically:
“My darling child,
Be kind, be gentle and try to be brave,
Quick to forgive, sometimes misbehave
Be daring but thoughtful, be your own soul,
Understand some things are beyond your control
Love and smile away that tear
For we are the prodigy of stars, my dear.”
So, as we all focus on the wonder that is motherhood - the creation and sustaining of life - I’m reminded of some of my favourite words from Saint Mother Theresa – currently framed above the kettle in my kitchen: “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
Have a lovely Mothering Sunday!