First and foremost, Happy mothers day to all the mums out there!
This one's an emotional one.
If there's one thing I've learned, it's that through my 32 years on this earth (I know, I didn't believe it either!), I've taken my mum for granted. See now what most of you won't know, is that my mum is the very definition of a hero, an inspiration and someone who I'm truly privileged to have brought me up.
As most kids do, I had a bit of a rebellious phase through my teens. To put it bluntly, looking back I was a bit of a nightmare, and I must have caused an obscene amount of sleepless nights to my parents who only wanted the best for me.
Without going into too much detail, whatever my parents asked me to do, I would do the complete opposite, purely to assert my dominance and to make me feel like I was making my own decisions.
When I was 18, that all changed when my mum was diagnosed with breast cancer. All of a sudden, I stopped being so much of a rebel and had faced the very real possibility that my mum could be taken away far too early.
We stopped having arguments, and I'd like to think, if nothing else, it was a bit of a wake-up call for me, that it was time for me to step up, be there for my mum, my dad, and my sister. I needed to support her through all the treatment she had to go through.
At the beginning of her treatment when she was having chemotherapy, her consultants advised she take plenty of bed rest immediately after her sessions as the side effects can hit pretty hard. Well, turns out I know where my stubbornness comes from because my mum would have chemotherapy in the morning, then go immediately straight back to work in the call center she works at. I honestly don't know how she managed it.
I'll always remember when her hair started falling out, as I think it was one of the first immediately visible signs that she was poorly. I think that bit hurt a lot, as mum made it seem on the surface that nothing had changed other than her having a few hospital appointments. She still cooked, she cleaned, she ironed, and was still as much of a mum as she ever was.
She could have stopped working and have had all the paid time off in the world she wanted, but no, my mum would soldier on, like the absolute hero she is!
When she had her first major operation, despite her consultant making some huge mistakes, that would mean another 3 major life-threatening operations, my mum shrugged it off like it was nothing. She didn't care that she'd been done wrong by, didn't care that she'd have to go under the knife again so that all the mistakes could be fixed, my mum was only ever thankful that she was still standing, and still able to be the most incredible mum anyone could ever ask for.
You'll all be pleased to know she's now in remission. She still works in the exact same call center, still
supports me in all my endeavors, is always only ever a phone call away, and still just as humble about everything she went through as she ever was.
Today, myself and Rachel have put together our own little afternoon tea planned for her, which I'm hoping she'll like since we can't spend the day with her due to COVID.
I guess the point of this blog is to not take your mum for granted the same way I have. Take lots of pictures (That's where I come in 😉), make memories, and include them in your wedding plans, because I guarantee the Mum's will be the happiest and proudest people in the room on your big day.
Something slightly different this week, but I'll be back next Sunday with another blog, as we inch our way slowly closer to the end of lockdown!
Stay safe!
Jono x