Thankfully, my Mum was one of those people who wrote on the back of photographs, and the narrative on the reverse of this one reads “October 27th 1963, Derek’s birthday party” that means that I was five at the time and this is possibly the last time that my Dad sat me on knee, I look rather smug and am shocked by my hair, styled, by my Mum, and my Brother and my matching jumpers, also made by my Mum. The elderly lady in the photograph is my Grandma Grimshaw who was ninety-one at the time and lived until she was a hundred years old, which was a huge achievement in those days. Looking back, we were a happy family and I have fond memories of my childhood, I felt protected and loved in that little community.
Today is Mothering Sunday, and our shops and Supermarkets are working hard to promote their products and maximise their sales. I am shocked at some of the e-mails that have found their way into my inbox, suggesting that if I love my Mum, then I will show her just how much by buying her an expensive gift, costing a fortune. Sadly, my Mother passed away over thirty years ago, but even if she was still with us today, she would not expect either my Brother or I to spend a fortune and would be perfectly happy with a bunch of daffodils.
As with all these events, Valentines Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day etc. etc. they have become a huge marketing tool and if we aren’t careful, we can get caught up in the hype, and can assume that everybody finds occasions like this a time of joy and celebration, but that is not the case for everybody. Some people have not enjoyed a positive relationship with their Mother and with all the jollity of the day, all they feel is sadness and pain. Then there are those who are experiencing their first Mothing Sunday without their Mother for the first time, or Mothers facing the occasion for the first time since losing a child. It is important of days like today that while we celebrate and become consumed by the joy and hype of days like this, that not everybody feels the same as we do.