Dear LPG readers, 

For us in England, if we ladies managed to bring our children up with the appropriate values, mothers have already had their celebratory day. But there are so many others to be celebrated and while we have already had one day of flowers and chocolates this year, today is the day that many of the countries of the world will be following suit when it comes to the 2022 celebration of this event.  Australia, many parts of Europe, the Caribbean and the USA, to mention a few, recognise, today as the big day. 

We at LPG feel this a perfect reason to bring the subject up again and, just in case the other half of the world’s population forget what motherhood involves, Beverly has written a poem to remind us…

THE THINGS THAT WE MOTHERS DO FOR LOVE

Mothers: Give birth to children nine months after conception; sometimes earlier sometimes later; sometimes by Caesarean Section.  But most times a natural birth with a long or short labour with the help of an Epidural.

Mothers: usually have a very happy disposition, are. diligent, hardworking, easily adapted to motherhood, enjoy breastfeeding but have the bottle ready just in case.  There will be dozens of nappy changing, endless crying, tummy upsets and sleepless nights; gently rubbing of baby’s backs to release trapped wind and trying to break the dummy habit.

Mothers: Good home makers, washing, cooking, ironing, baking, cleaning the house; shopping for food, clothes and birthday treats; also, regular visits to the park for a leisurely stroll or just to meet and talk with other mums to pass the time and for some adult conversations.  Give love, nurture, correct, counsel, help, cuddle, smile, protect, pray, keep watch etc.  Regular or the occasional visits to grandparents, or polite conversation on the telephone or Skype, or Facebook, or Instagram, or Twitter; it all depends how up to date grandparents are these days and whether they are in or out of the country.  General housekeeping, entertaining other children – mainly neighbours or school friends or those from Church, making sure the programmes they are watching is child-friendly...

Chauffeuring them to after-school activities weekdays and at the weekend: such as trips to the Leisure Centre as well as the swimming pool and the local Library to borrow that very special book, CDs or DVDs or to attend an event that’s ‘just for kids’; keeping an eye on the clock as the Manager, Secretary and Cleaner and general timekeeper of the entire household.  Giving special nursing care in times of colds, Chickenpox, Measles, Whooping Cough, teething, tummy bugs, aches and pains and strains; rise up early alert, call, shout, pulling the sheets, telling off the time-wasters in the house, prepare breakfast and do the washing up at some point, if there is no dishwasher; have a tea break perhaps, or maybe off to a part-time job or to do a course on how to be a good wife, parent, homemaker and mother, or how to deal with your rebellious teenage son or daughter; or to see the GP or Counsellor about your fears and anxieties due to stress; or spending some time just wondering which household chores should be done next, later, tomorrow or the day after but head for the gym instead...

What a pity that just thinking about all the jobs that we mothers have to do will never get the work done; so, all that we can do is to buckle down and get on with it, or get a home help if one can afford it...

©2017 by Beverly Gooden Wilson