Mothering Sunday - Guest Author - Amanda Egan

It is Mothering Sunday here in the UK

Happy Mother's Day to all mums and special thoughts for those of you who are missing your mum.

Today, Amanda Egan - Mummy Misfit author explains the meaning of MUM

MUMS

The Oxford English Dictionary tells us that the definition of the word ‘mother’ is:

Noun - a woman in relation to a child or children to whom she has given birth.

Sounds so simple doesn’t it?

And yet we all know that there’s a whole lot more to it than that.  Being a mum is a lifetime commitment.  I’m 48, my mum is 84 and I still need her in my life.  My son is 16 and it’s still me he comes to when things are tough or he’s not feeling well.  It’s Dad for maths homework and killing zombies on the Playstation.

As our mothers get older our relationships change - the edges begin to blur.  Who’s caring for whom?  It’s tricky.  She’s still our mum but the balance changes as we begin to take on more of the duties that would usually fall to her - the cherishing and the nurturing.

And I truly cherish every minute I spend with my mum.  She may drive me mad with her constant requests to order trousers from M&S (which will then be returned) or moaning about next door’s cat, but she’s my mum and it’s all part and parcel of her.  I’m sure she gets fed up with me too - keeping her updated with book sales or conversations I’ve had on Twitter - but that’s what a friendship is all about.

Because she is my friend.  If something exciting happens, she’s the first person I’ll pick up the phone to.  If I’m fed up, I’ll offload to her.  She doesn’t live with me but at the end of every day we share a glass of wine and a catch-up.

And why do I see her every day?  Firstly because I want to but also because she’s lonely.  Her husband, all of her friends and both of her sisters have passed away - the downside of being a healthy octogenarian, you get left alone.  I reorganise my days to make sure that I can be with her for at least a few hours.  Because if I didn’t, she wouldn’t see a living soul from one day to the next.

I know that there are many elderly people who lead solitary lives but I’m in a position to make sure that my mum doesn’t have to.  Why would I not?

I also know that there are lots of activities for pensioners to take part in but she doesn’t want to and I accept that.  Bingo and day-trips aren’t for everyone.  We are not all the same. I’d like to think that I’ll make it to 84 and be active and sociable but none of us know, do we?

If I’m not, I’d like to know I had a friend - some company.

So I’ll continue to be there for my mum, to be her support and just generally to thank her for doing a great job of the hardest profession in the world.

Motherhood.

So this mother’s day and every day, treat your mum to the love she deserves.

Amanda Egan is the author of two novels “Diary of a Mummy Misfit” and “The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit” available on Kindle at Amazon and in paperback at Lulu.

She can be followed on Twitter @mummy_misfit

Her Wednesday blog can be found at Diary of a Mummy Misfit Blogspot

She is currently editing her 3^rd novel - unrelated to the Misfit books.