Today we celebrate Mother’s Day in the UK, and I am taking the opportunity to say a huge thank you to my mum, Karen Hargreaves. She has always been there for me, and for my brother and sister as we grew up and explored our lives and our world. She has nurtured, educated, nursed, disciplined, supported and fed us for all these years, and she still continues to do so. We all live independent lives, but we always return home on a regular basis. Home is where our mother is!

My mother may not realise just how much she means to her children. We are not given to shows of emotion on a daily basis, although we do regularly say “I love you.” We live a distance apart, and so we cannot simply pop in and say hello every day. Regardless of this, my relationship with my mum is solid. I know that she is always there for me, no matter what. She taught me to read, and encouraged me to write and be creative as I grew older. I will always cherish the memories of our Saturday morning visits to the local library, when mum would let me loose among the stacks, and take me home again after a few hours, complete with a new pile of books to read.

I want my mum to understand that she truly is a role model for her children, and for her grandchildren. My girls dote on their Nanny. Despite living with a chronic illness that affects her daily life, mum never spares an opportunity to play with her little friends, and they love her all the more for it. Whenever we have a problem, or a challenging situation, mum is the first person we turn to for help. She always has a suggestion, or a plan, or simply the offer of a cup of tea and a cuddle.

And it is for these simple reasons that I want to say thank you to my mum. Thank you for being my Mother. Thank you for being my Friend. Thank you for teaching me what it is to be a mother myself. Happy Mother’s Day!