A Mother's Love

Considering we've just celebrated Father's Day in Australia, I should be writing about fatherly love - but I think I'll leave that can of worms closed for a little bit longer... So instead, I've put finger to keyboard to share my thoughts on Mums.

My sister recently became a Mum for the second time to Ella-Rose Violet. Having already been an aunty for three years (her son Benjamin was born in May 2006), I've adored watching my sister grow as a mother - not just in her partenting skills, but emotionally and mentally (sometimes not in the good way!). Amy was always a natural carer - from a little girl who loved looking after stray pets until we located its owner to a young adult who often ended up with no-hoper boyfriends that needed more taking care of than the stray pets! Either way, I never for a second thought Amy would be anything other than a great Mum some day.

When I first met Ella-Rose, I stuggled at first to deal with the very firm tug on the heart strings she was able to illict from me. So little and vulnerable, with so much life ahead of her. Excitement, success, happiness, fun, enjoyment, laughter, love. All I wanted to do was pull her close and fill her with words of positivty and encouragement, silently knowing that I desperately want to protect her from the awful stuff - disappointment, struggle, heart break, failure, sadness. And I'm only her aunty.

It also made me think about the relationship I had with my own Mum. We've certainly had our ups and downs, but I love Mum with all that I've got. I'm currently living at home and she seems to know exactly what to say and when to say it to rile my up. But when I need her, she's there with a hug and an affectionate tease to let me know that I'm tougher than anything the world tries to throw at me.

I found the below poem, which I thought I'd share.

A Mother's Love by Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's love is something that no on can explain,
It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it or take that love away.

It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking.

It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems.

It is far beyond defining, it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation.

A many splendoured miracle man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence of God's tender guiding hand.

What I love today

Every now and then I'll post a list of what I'm loving. Let's call it a LOVE capsule. I hope that when I look back on these lists in years to come, I still love these things (sic) and many more.

There's the obvious, of course:

• My family and my extended families: God knows there's a million of them.
• My other family: my friends, the family that you choose who make my life so wonderful.

Ok, that's it for the mushy stuff. Then there's the loves that are exclusive to me:

• Clear blue skies on a crisp winter's day.
• Memories of my beautiful golden retriever who succumbed suddenly to cancer this week aged 11.
• The essence of brands and what makes them attractive to some, yet not to others.
• Wine - I don't discriminate on colour, age or external aesthetics.
• A big, booming power ballad belted out by the beauties of music (currently into Beyonce, Jordin Sparks, Delta Goodrem, Jessica Mauboy, Lily Allen, Mariah Carey) and rolling down the windows of my car and opening my lungs...
• A smile, a hug. Any display of genuine affection, really. Kindness is very underrated.
• Twitter. Yup I love it, it's my thing, leave me alone.
• Being successful and not apologising for it or making any concessions.

So readers out there, what or who are your loves?