I don’t think that anyone and anything can every prepare you for the role of being a mother. From the last few weeks of shuffling around and feeling like a beached whale, it’s quite a leap to the sudden realisation that you have become responsible for a tiny precious baby that needs you 24 x 7 for a long time.
As mums, we often put ourselves last, if at all; think of all those countless times when you went to bed too exhausted to even pick up the book you have wanted to finish since you started it on holiday six months ago. At some point, you just know it will end up in the bag of books waiting in the car boot to go to the charity shop because it’s just accumulating dust … Those of us who run a business as well on top of our family commitments are even more affected.
We can also end up being that “mum” to friends in life, sometimes from the most random of connections. I was lucky enough to meet a legend of French rugby in the early 2000s, because he had an online chat group. Through him, I got to meet one of his club team-mates, someone whose parents were divorcing at a time when I was going through mine and we just bonded.
Over the years, I became a shoulder for a small number of other club players who in turn kept me in fun moments, giggles and personal/match day photos. To this day I remain somewhat in awe that these players find time for “little old me”, bringing me back to the inspiration for this site from Nicki, the world endurance GT champion who still finds time to reply to messages.
Today I’ve received a lovely present from my three musketeers, even though UK mother’s day is not the same as other countries. It’s been 10 years since we first met apparently and they wanted to give me something to remember them by, as if I could ever forget.
You never know where today’s connection can take you and whilst sometimes we only walk the road with some people for a certain period of time, we all have lessons to learn from our journey and you would be surprised how the little things we do help others with their personal and professional life.
Today we celebrate and thank all the mums, from our biological mother to the ones we have adopted in life, those who have been there for us when we needed it.
