My Mother, My Best Mentor Ever.

My Mother was born on this day in 1917.

I often ponder on what she would have made of the world today, but I already know the answer to my musings.

She was strong, focussed and incredibly resilient. She had to be – she had two toddlers who were born just before and during WW11. (I was born ten years later). She had already experienced the death of her mother and her older brother (due to a horrendous train accident) who she adored.

My Mum and others like her lived through times where food, clothing and basic human needs were in very short supply. She made birthday presents for her two toddlers out of household items such as clothes peg dolls – and considered herself fortunate to even have clothes pegs!

There were atrocities being committed across the world on a daily basis and tens of millions of people died due to genocide, starvation, massacres and disease. World WarII was by far the deadliest conflict in human history and those who survived, never forgot and remained humbly grateful. 

If my Mum lived now, she’d be still doing what she always did. She’d take good care of her family, show kindness to her neighbours and create simple activities to keep herself and her kids positively occupied. She taught us to sing and dance. She taught us to know and admire trees, birds, animals and all the exquisite joys of nature. We walked, all rugged up, in the rain, sat under trees in the hot sun, visited neighbours with offerings of freshly grown vegetables from her organic garden. She taught us to always, above all else, ‘count your blessings’ and be thankful for how fortunate we were to have food, water, clothing and a home to live in.

So my wonderful Mum would have knuckled down in these current times to remain positive and thankful for what she had. She never focussed on fear or what she didn’t have – only ever on the blessings she did have. She never complained and always maintained a happy, loving and kind disposition which she shared generously with others.

If she were here today, she’d say ‘stop thinking about what might not be right or what you think might go wrong and think about all that’s good’. She’d say ‘there’s always more good than bad if you care to look for it’. ‘Have faith and never let it waver’ she’d say. ‘Stand up straight, take a deep breath, stay calm and give thanks’ she’d remind me often. 

I’m not frightened one bit about Covid or other stuff going on in the world. I have strong faith in goodness and the millions of people across the world who are supporting each other kindly through challenging times.

I have faith in my own strength and resilience to stand by my beliefs and values and not give in to fear and the will of others.  I go to nature every day and breathe in the deep peace of the trees, the sweet sounds of the birds and the rolling waves of the sea. I sit quietly with the dogs and cats who grace my life and don’t give a hoot about anything other then being here and fully present, enjoying this moment – they’re great teachers! I continue to stand up straight, breathe and be thankful for my blessings. 

And I owe all my learned practices to my beautiful, wise and insightful Mum. Thank you darling Mumma, I sure hope somehow, somewhere you know how much I continue to love and appreciate you.

She’s been gone for twenty eight years now and I miss her more with every passing year, but because of her invaluable guidance, Every Day Gets Better in my life. ❤️