A day to make Mum smile

Sorting through some old photos, I found this one from June 2020. First I smiled. Then, unexpectedly, my eyes filled with tears.

I can’t quite remember whether it was Mum’s birthday or a Mother’s Day treat. But I remember her children bringing her in for a pedicure, determined to spoil her.

There she sat in the big chair, hands folded in her lap, with her children gathered around her like she was their “queen”. They seemed perfectly at home making a fuss of Mum. She looked shy about being the centre of attention.

My own children are now around the age those children were then. Perhaps that’s why this photo feels different to me today.

When our children are small, we have so many hopes for their future. As they grow up, being thought of and cared for by them can mean more than we ever imagined.

We often know our partner’s favourite food, favourite colour, or exactly what would make their day. But what would make Mum happy? Sometimes we realise we’ve never really asked. Especially when her usual answer is, “You don’t need to get me anything.”

I don’t know whether this mum ever came back to our salon. But I still remember that day: her children’s big smiles, her shy one, and everyone gathered close.

Those children must be quite grown up by now.

I hope they’ve had many more days of making Mum smile.