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Speaking about Mother’s Day to a mam of grown children, she said the radio had flagged how the phone was killing the occasion. There is a day for most things which is a great way to raise awareness and mark occasions.
Sometimes however, there is a backlash that this is just pure commercialisation. All I would say following this conversation is – make or buy your mother a card, a text doesn’t have the same gravitas, a card costs very little and it will mean the world.
I am blessed with a living, healthy and helpful set of mothers in my life – my biological one, my step-mother and my mother-in-law, who all at times drive me insane.
Saying that I am pretty confident that this could be said, equally and as deservedly, by them about me, on occasions. The Irish mammy is pretty unique, there is no denying that. So infamous is her turn of phrase that the lines so many of us would have rolled our eyes at as we grew up were used as the first greetings to meet you in Dublin Airport’s terminal one – the last time I passed through it anyway.
These phrases come in all forms, from supportive, ‘what is meant for you won’t pass you’, to threatening, ‘where’s my wooden spoon?’, or the more fear-inducing, ‘a little birdie told me’. One other phrase that springs to mind and I have it on my kitchen wall is: ‘I didn’t know my mother was so right until I had kids of my own’ – never a truer word spoken.
It is quite easy to be inspired by mothers and we have some amazing stories this week showcasing the very different relationships that mothers can have with their children. This week, you can read about the special relationship achieved by a mother-daughter partnership with the success of I-SPY Clothing. Not all families can work together and it is interesting how the mixed expertise of this pairing complement each other in their business. Donegal farmer and consultant Dale Hutchinson speaks of how his mother, despite his protest, donated a kidney to him and this week, as a step out from his normal sporting commentary, Denis Hurley speaks of the role reversal from being cared for to caring for his mother Gretta, who has dementia. Although painful, the gratitude for all that she has given him over the years makes this reversal easier.
For all these amazing stories it is almost impossible to pick one mother and pay tribute to her over all others but I am going to this week as I feel this women needs special mention. On 21 June 2018, New Zealand’s then 37-year-old prime minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth to her first child, a girl called Neve Te Aroha, making her the second only elected leader in modern history to give birth while in office.
Three months later she made her debut speech at the UN Nelson Mandela Peace Summit and on 16 March 2019, in the wake of the mass shootings at two Christchurch mosques, she showed the entire world her responsiveness and leadership.
A lady like this shows why diversity in leadership is important, if not vital, as we can see that not only can she lead in times of chaos and tragedy but has nerves of steel and the empathy to unite. Qualities needed more so than ever and hopefully leaders like her will emerge in our own elections this year.
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