Recently we were walking at Lafarge Lake where there were duck families with the tiniest babies. There too was the predator eagle, endlessly swooping in for the kill. But mother duck had him outsmarted and her ducklings well trained. Each time the eagle swooped close, the entire large family of ducklings dove beneath the surface with Mum – only resurfacing when the eagle had returned to his viewing perch in a tree. This scenario repeated itself until finally the eagle was tired and gave up – for now.
This was such a perfect example of motherhood – applying to human mothers as well as those in the animal kingdom. We hear all those real stories of mothers summoning enormous amounts of strength when their children, however young, or old, are in danger.
So it is that on Sunday, we honor and appreciate our mothers and those other mother figures in our lives – mothers-in-law, stepmothers and foster mothers.
These are the women who loved and protected us (often appreciated only in retrospect), gave us our core values and exerted their influence over us and the society around us. Then, they continue the experienced version with grandchildren!
So how do we show our appreciation this year when everything is different? Remembering that pragmatic quote from Eleanor Roosevelt – “Life has got to be lived. That’s all there is to it.” – we do the very best we can under present circumstances. If our mothers are far away, it is an easy choice – we use the tools we have all learned to use in the past 2 months where possible – Zoom, FaceTime, Skype – or that quaint instrument, the telephone! If our Mums are close by, but not in our households, there are great restaurants offering order in or takeaway meals. You will not only be brightening your mother’s day, but helping out the restaurants who are missing out on their busiest day of the year (yes, bigger than Valentine’s or Christmas). Being the delivery person at a safe distance will also lift the spirits of an isolated mother. Our local florists are also happy to oblige with no contact delivery. If you are lucky enough to be living at home with your Mum, you can be as creative as you like:- crafts, baking, composing your own song or poem – or, just cleaning the bathroom!! For those of us who have to rely on the memories of our mothers, we know they are always with us in how we act and the expressions we use – it’s a day for gratitude.
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY – however you spend it. Mother Nature is going to bless us with fine warm weather – enjoy.
Generations Real Estate Partners, continuing to keep you covered:-
Michelle Hawthorne, Scott Johnson, Sheila Francis, Ray Harris and Shane Goutsis