Mother's Day

Catching up on the news this evening and a discussion on Mother's Day in The Australian caught my eye. The original article claimed that not only mothers mother. That limiting Mothers' Day to mothers hurts women and children. What about nannies, next-door-neighbours and the women who 'get the kids to footy or netball training'? ask the authors. What about children who don't have a mother but want to recognise someone who mothers them, aren't they included?

Caroline Overington rails against the idea that mothers are no more special to their children than the lady next door. She says:

Mothers know what mothers are. They are people with a piece of their heart always on fire. They are people who would give up the last scrap of food in a famine; the last drop of water from a tap; the last blanket in a storm. Take their children from them and you will soon find them walking incessantly in circles; pulling holes in their jumpers, tearing hair from their scalp.

I LOVE this summation of motherhood. But I think both authors have missed the point. On Mother's Day, given half a chance, children will recognise whoever they feel is a Mum. We don't have to artificially broaden the definition of Mum so that every women who goes near a kid is included. Nor do we have to limit it to just Mums. It will just happen. The kid of a single Dad who goes to the lady next door every day after school will give her a kiss on the cheek and a cheeky 'Happy Mother's Day Mum'. The kid who's in day care 'cause Mum and Dad have to pay the bills will hug their carer extra hard that day. Kids everywhere will buy or make cards for Mums, Grandmums, Stepmums, Fostermums and whoever else they want. And this year I will ring Anna, Euey's Good-Mum and he will say 'log-oo* Anna'. I hope that will become a tradition.

log-oo = Love You.