Mothering Sunday : Mothers Day Bouquet

"Mothers Day Bouquet"

Original watercolour by Jean Haines

I completed my Mothers Day painting this morning and whilst adding the last tweaks, I  had a terrific "light bulb" moment. It is strange how these moments can make our hearts leap as artists as all of a sudden we realise something that improves our techniques. Something like a small change in how we paint that is so simple and yet the idea has been completely missed by us until that magical light bulb moment. I am delighted. It gave painting this bouquet and added surprise bonus.

This piece is painted with love for all the Mums out there where ever they may be, No matter what age, religion or nationality. Because as Mums we are united. We share a love for our children that is so intense it is indescribable. Nothing in the world compares to this emotion.

Today I look back at the Mums who have influenced my own life. The Mum who left me, the Mum who stepped in and the many " Mums" who guide me as I travel through my life journey. I have been "adopted" by those who love me for who I am, and I see myself as a " daughter" of many who care about me world wide.

How blessed I am.

Mothers make this world go around and I feel for those Mums in countries where their lives are so very different to mine. I can openly show my love for my children, male and female. And my children would never cause harm to another soul on this planet regardless of what religion, faith or feelings they may carry personally.

We are seeing such awful atrocities carried out by men who I wonder about. Did they ever consider the pain they are causing for their Mothers. They cannot dismiss the female race so easily because without us they wouldn't exist. How very sad.

But today is a happy day. A day for celebrating. For being with loved ones, for showing we care. 

Opening our hearts is a great thing to do.

My memory today is of an awful butter dish that I gave to my Step Mum as a Mothering Sunday gift years ago when I was a child. It was all I could afford with my pocket money at a young age. It was Pyrex with an awful image of a duck on it but I  thought she might like it as well as the flowers I had picked from the woodland nearby. My Step Mum opened my carefully wrapped present and made such joyous noises in gratitude as if I had given her pure gold. In her eyes I had. I had parted with the tiny amount of money I had and spent it all on her because in my life I knew she meant the world to me. As Mums do.

I am happy to say my gifts got better over the years but my Step Mum kept that terrible butter dish and even had it on display until the day she died. To my embarrassment she would tell visitors that it was a gift from me. I would wish for the floor to open up and swallow me when she did, but she loved it and the memory of my giving it to her.

I am smiling. What a lovely act of a Mother to see the beauty in the worst of gifts.

I am sure there are some terrific memories out there of Mums and gifts  over the years for you too.

Happy Mothers Day.

May it be filled with smiles and happy thoughts!

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