Thoughts on Mothering Sunday

The news this week has been dominated by the premature deaths of two celebrity mums- Natasha Richardson and, today, Jade Goody. The death of any mother of young children is sad at any time of year, but seems more poignant in the week leading to Mothering Sunday (I refuse to call it 'Mother's Day', sorry). Today I have noticed that many of my friends are in the same position as I- mixed emotions as, as mothers and (in some cases) grandmothers themselves, their predominant thoughts are still with their own mothers, who are no longer with us. For me personally, Mothering Sunday falls at a difficult time of year, midway between what would have been my mother's birthday in March, and the anniversary of her death in April. 

In the aftermath of Natasha Richardson's death, the Daily Mail republished a letter written by Vanessa Redgrave to her daughter Natasha, several years ago. I found it extraordinarily moving, and thought to share it here as my offering for this particular day. Every mother makes mistakes whilst sincerely trying to do the best for her children. To admit these mistakes as openly is very brave, as it can take years for the child in the relationship to fully understand, having usually (by that point) made similar mistakes her/himself. I wish I had been a more  considerate daughter; I wish I was a stronger, wiser, more patient mother to my children: and I hope to learn from my mistakes as daughter and mother as I attempt to become a kindly,non-interfering grandmother. Watch this space.