| a message on the eve of mother's day |

Tomorrow is Sunday, Mother's Day for many countries around the world. And we have all been overly bombarded with ideas for gifts, flowers and all the other pampering products, but, as with other such days ie Valentines Day, it never really should be about the material things. I simply feel it should be about celebrating and being so aware of who your mother is and what she means to you.

Six weeks ago, tomorrow-on Mother's Day, my mom passed away after a long and hard fought battle with cancer that she most definitely did not deserve to fight, for a second time. And so, some would think that tomorrow is going to be a day of sadness, not a day of celebration and gratitude. But that's not the way I see it, and so, I thought I'd share my views and realisations that I've had over the past couple of months. 

Your mother is someone that you can never and will never replace. It doesn't matter whether you get along with her or you scream and fight 90% of the time and don't see eye-to-eye ever; she is one of the people that will always be there for you. In my case, I had a very good relationship with my mom and will cherish that forever more. 

Your mother is the person that makes the difference in your life in small ways that you, sometimes, don't even realise, and thus, that ever so cliche saying-you don't know what you've go till it's gone- is very pertinent here. I did know what I was loosing, but I was only aware because of the nature of the events, and the fact that we knew she was going. Think about what it would be like to have her taken away from you, to have all the things missing that she used to do, to miss the comments that she would have made when a certain advert came on the TV, to miss the oh-so familiar sound of her keys when she came home and to miss not being able to just sit down and talk-whether you live at home or have a family and life of your own. Because if you think about not having those things there, it seems unimaginable and altogether unfathomable, which is quite how I felt when she was diagnosed eight months ago. And here is where part of my message creeps in, think of these things on Mother's Day, and appreciate your mom for all the things that you love and all the little things that may annoy you about her, because you'll miss them all one day. 

But, your mother will always be with you and you will always know what she would have said and how she would have reacted. And that's the biggest thing with death, it's the physical that you miss, because the memories are all still there, the relationship you had with her is always going ti be there with you.

And so, like we did on her birthday, we will celebrate Mother's Day just as we would have done if she was here. We will celebrate her and all that she stood for and all that she was to us and all her dear friends. Because she was, in my world, the best mom that I could have asked for and the she taught me how to be the person I am today. She would have wanted us to spoil her, and so we'll celebrate for you Mom. 

This post is not intended to be sombre and I do apologise if it has taken that tone slightly. All I want reader's to get out of it, is that tomorrow, whether your mom is with you physically, or with you in your heart and in your memories, celebrate with her or for her and all she was! And appreciate her for being someone vital and special to your life.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day all!

My mom, me and my dad

Me, my mom and my brother, Adam

A beautiful picture taken last year in March

Getting used to having Adam around

A day trip to Robertson

Still getting used to little baby Adam

A family shot at her birthday last year in April. We went for breakfast at Suikerbossie in Hout Bay.

Me as a baba and my beautiful mother.