Mothers That Rock by Dunja

What is it about our mothers? Why do we get that fluttery feeling in our stomachs and why does a spontaneous smile creep onto our faces every time we think of them? Is it because we feel that no real harm can come to us as long as they’re around? That no matter how badly we steer our lives, or the countless mistakes we make that may hurt or disappoint others around us, our mothers will always be there with a warm cuddle that says ‘It’s ok baby, I’ve got you’.

Well that’s how I feel anyway. The older I get the more time I spend observing my mother going about her daily tasks that I’ve now adapted to, and I watch with awe. She doesn’t even seem aware of how much she’s accomplished in her life or how many people she’s been there for – friends and family, as well as strangers. And the amount of hardship she’s overcome, that I can’t even comprehend. Fact is, my father, brother and I had to overcome much of those same hardships. Moving as refugees from country to country, not knowing whom of our family was still alive back home. Just living day to day.

But we didn’t feel the effects nearly as much as my mother did. She always made sure of that. She toiled away at those daily tasks, making every new place a home and ensuring we always felt protected and comfortable.

Of course, I didn’t get it back then. I didn’t see the importance of sitting down together for dinner every night, or hunting round the shops looking for the right ingredients so she could cook the food we grew up with.  Or why she always had a smile on her face for us when we’d long forgotten how to smile.

But I’m a mother now and I get it all. And I know I will do everything for my daughter to make her feel safe and secure, and not expect, or want anything in return.