At the end of this month, it will be Mother’s Day. And I’d like to start by acknowledging that Mother’s Day may be far from an easy day for some people. For them, there may be difficult associations, perhaps grief, or unhappy memories and so, to those people who will find it a challenging time, I send much love.
Being a mum can be the best, and the most challenging job in the world. Dad’s, your moment will come, later in the year! As a mum of two lovely daughters, I know how it feels to want the very best for your child; to have high hopes for them; to want to protect them from danger and harm; to feel such love for them that you’d do anything to defend them to your last breath. I now fully understand how my own very special mum feels too. Mums around the world, I salute you! You are strong, powerful, full of love and driven by the unseen, primal need to nurture your children; to help them grow into beautiful, independent, strong, healthy human beings. Unfortunately for some, the future development of their children can suddenly become less certain when cancer is diagnosed.
And that’s where some mums face the biggest challenge of their lives. I write a lot about how children with cancer face their challenges. I talk about them fighting a battle with this evil disease. I tell you stories of their courage and bravery. And now, with Mother’s Day approaching, it’s time to ask you to think about those mums who are challenged, fighting battles and being courageous and brave every day for weeks, months and years to protect and preserve their precious children. They’re doing what all mums do. Except that the challenges that they face with cancer are out of their control. Every mum of a child with cancer that I’ve ever spoken to about their journey tells me that it’s so, so tough to watch your child suffering and being unable to control the situation. As mums, we’re used to being in charge, to say what goes, to allow and to forbid. But when cancer takes control, it leaves mums feeling almost as helpless as their children.
Mums of children with cancer are special. They do what all mums do, only multiplied by 100, 1000 and more. They have to. They never give up. They’re tenacious. They will always do whatever it takes to shield their child. They won’t all be able to be spoilt by their children this Mother’s Day, because they’ll be too busy fighting yet another battle on just another day. I’ll be thinking of them all, and sending my love to them because they’ve given all their love to their sick children on their day, and every day. Stay strong, super brave mums. We’re all right behind you.