I am one of four in my family and when my brothers, sister and I were in primary school we used to have these Mother’s Day stalls. You know the kind I’m talking about, the ones with the tacky 50 cent paper weights (which were pretty much just stones with glitter), plastic beaded necklaces in an array of mismatched colours and shirts that you could decorate yourself with the fabric paint sitting in a jar next to the stall.
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Of course it was something special for mum from you, you just happened to forget that she had given you your $5 before racing out the door for the school bus so you could buy this ‘special something’ for her on Mother’s Day.
My mum had 11 years worth of these mothers day presents and without fail wore each one of our cheap necklaces and shoe-string earrings; still she wears the t-shirts with our small handprints on them like they were gold.
My mother convinced me that eating chocolate coated nuts were still healthy when I decided not eating was a great idea during my teen years, she told me that my low riding jeans made it impossible for people not to slot coins down the back of them and forced soap down my throat even though I assured her I had been talking about a ‘truck’.
Although Mother’s Day is a Hallmark holiday, it is still observed with a certain religious vigour, as many come together to honour the matriarch of the family and give thanks for her innumerable and, often thankless, jobs.
Even so, it is hard to find something that can truly pay tribute to motherhood and shed some light on the emotional rollercoaster that being a mother often means.
Mother’s Day has become a worldwide holiday, celebrated in around 50 different countries and one which goes back to ancient Roman and Greek traditions. The Catholic Church also adopted the holiday to celebrate Virgin Mary on December 8. Countries around the world celebrate it on different days of the year, ranging from February in Norway, to December 22 in Indonesia. In the former Yugoslavia, children would tie up their mother on Mother's Day. In order to be freed she had to pay them with treats. In Bolivia, the date chosen for Mother's Day was based on the day that women participated in a battle. Other countries have also chosen the date for Mother's Day to coincide with holidays that also celebrate women.
My mum gave me my big teeth, my incredibly annoying loud voice and stinted me on my height. Regardless of whether or not you believe in Hallmark Mother’s Day, the celebration of the Virgin Mary or tying your mother up until she gives you treats - it’s not a bad idea to think about the woman who gave you life and those who haven’t had the same opportunities.
