It’s Mother’s Day here in Ireland and Puppy Stan woke me at an unearthly hour ~ possibly to wish me Happy Mother’s Day ~ but he brought me off for a frosty jaunt that was filled with thoughts of my mother.
This is my seventh Mother’s Day since she died in May 2009. A grown-up daughter whose mother is rather unwell at the moment asked me recently: Do you miss your mother? I was a little taken aback by her directness and found myself hesitating for a few seconds.
I answered as honestly as I possibly could and said: Yes, I do but not half as much as I expected I would because it’s like she’s with me all the time. I wish someone had told me it would/could be like this when I was in a total state in the last years of her life. I’m glad she didn’t battle on as her quality of life was going to be more and more diminished and this way I feel that she’s at peace and also that I have her love, wisdom and sense of fun beating away within me.
This morning was one of those mornings when Mother was right with me as Stan and I headed off just to ‘be with her.’
She was passionate about nature and it was like nature herself was beaming for her too. Ponies and horses were a fundamental part of her growing up and this pair looked surreal as the sun was rising over the frosty fields:
The sea was soft and gentle ~ just like Mother’s touch:
On the path down to her beloved Annestown, the grass that we so often sat on having picnics after swims was glittering in the frost:
There was no possibility of resisting the chance to leave her a little message on the sand:
Out along the Copper Coast, sheep and lambs adorned a few fields close to the road. A ewe and her lamb came close to me and I was stunned to see that she was No. 29 ~ Mother’s special number always as her birthday was on the 29th.
Mother always loved to wander alone with nature, knowing that she could always come back to people who loved her.
As I look at this photograph that Dad took of her, I feel like I could call and she would turn around smiling and hold out her hand for me to come along with her:
SOCIAL BRIDGE ~ Jean Tubridy connecting with you from Ireland 
A beautiful tribute on this day, Jean.
Thanks very much, Hariod.
Very beautiful. I loved the tribute in the sand. A very Happy Mother’s Day and beautiful memories.
Many thanks. I’ve alwsys loved writing and drawing in the sand.
I love that you do! It’s beautiful to see.
Ah thanks!
Love-ly post and Happy Mother’s Day to you too!
Thanks Frances. It’s been a good day.
Beautiful memories and yes those that have crossed over are still with us
Hi Joseph, thanks for writing. I think people can be more with us than we often realise. I guess a lot depends on the strength of the bond while they were alive.
Well it depends on the bond of the departed one to you but also it doesn’t need to be a bond there. It all depends on your ability to communicate with the dead.
Oh I think the bond needs to have been close so that you can know how the person would have responded to different situations.
I don’t believe in communication with the dead in that I don’t believe in an afterlife.
We all have our beliefs 🙂
Absolutely!
Beautiful Jean. Thank you for sharing.
As an aside Jean, i’m back doing a Sunday post over at MarkB’s http://markbialczak.com/2016/03/06/back-in-the-saddle/comment-page-1/#comment-77088 If you get a chance to drop by for a visit please do. Thanks!
Hi Paul, great to hear from you today.
I’ll be over to your post.
Beautiful hearts, Jean!
Thanks so much, Dana.
Lovely memories and images Jean, a wonderful tribute.
Hi Andrea, thanks for your kind words.
Lovely. Such a good day to think of loved ones no longer with us.
I’d have to say a day doesn’t go by that I don’t think of Mother but somehow Mother’s Day accentuates that.
A touching post for Mother’s Day, Jean
Thanks Robin. We were probably more like sisters than mother and daughter!
What a lovely, lovely post. Interesting how ‘Mother’s Day’ is different for every country. It’s in May in the U.S. I love the fact that my son-in-law sends me flowers on that day. Makes me feel soooo good.
As far as the ewe and the #29 — I don’t believe in coincidences. As you said, your mother was there with you showing signs in so many ways.
Pam, you’d think it would be standardised like most other days.
Cherish that son-in-law of yours!
I’m not into coincudences either so don’t really know what to think. It was a lovely sight, however it came about.
I’m sure if at all possible she loved your post and it gave her a smile.
What a lovely tribute.
Hi Tric, I guess she’d know I’d be doing something about her but I’d say she might have expected climbing a mountain or digging the garden rather than blogging. I started the blog almost two years after she died. She was big into writing herself so the blog wouldn’t be too much of a shock!
Hope you had a good day.
We had Waterford hurlers winning a thriller to give us a big lift.
The tribute in sand says it all! You (2 as 1) are very lucky indeed! 🙂
Thanks Tom. We certainly had a great life together.
You and your mother look so much alike. Both lovely women. I miss my mom every day, and it has been 35 years since she passed. Hugs.
Sandy, many thanks for your kind words.
I don’t think that time makes a huge difference when it comes to missing people who have been very precious to us. The nature of the missing may change but the missing doesn’t go – nor would I expect or want it to!
I think loved ones who have passed on find a way to communicate with us to let us know that they’re are ok..Your memories of your Mom are truly beautiful and she along with your Dad will always live on in your heart. Happy Mothers’ Day to you..
Joni, thanks for your lovely words.
I also meant to say what a beautiful picture of your Mom and you…
ah, thanks, Joni. I’m lucky to have so many photos, thanks to Dad’s enthusiasm for photography.
What a beautiful tribute to your Mom, combining your love for her and her love of nature. I love that you keep her alive each day, so much so that she continues to be here with you.
God rest her soul.
Hi George, I think she left such a strong legacy of love that it’s inevitable that I feel her presence around all the time. She certainly passed on her love of nature to all us kids.
That brought a tear, I wish I had known her better.
Hi Madeline, it wasn’t meant to draw a tear.
We were both very fortunate in the mothers we had.
Mother talked a lot about great childhood times shared with your father. xx
As an asideJean, Blog Woman!!! posted Part 1 of a two part series of mine this morning at http://blog-woman.com/2016/03/07/with-a-little-help-from-my-friends-guest-post-paul-curran-the-invisibles-part-1/#comment-9077 if you have the time and desire, I would be honored if you dropped by for a read. Thank you.
What a lovely essay, and the photographs are especially beautiful this time. Love the horses (of course!) and the #29–how symbolic.
Suz, I knew you’d be very taken with the horses. They looked magical in that early morning light.
Lovely post and photos.
Thanks very much for writing, Helen.
A lovely tribute to your mum Jean, with lovely photos and thoughts.
Hi Agnes, thanks very much for your kind comment.
Beautiful tribute and lovely images of the Copper Coast.
Thanks Inese. It’s a magnificent part of the world, isn’t it?
It is. I love to drive along the coast up to Clonea and stop here and there. Now with all those robberies, I am a bit reluctant to drive in the area on my own.
They are a bit scary alright but hopefully just a passing phase.
Handy to have a dog with a good deep bark in the back of the car!!!
Oh yes, a dog would be a good companion.
Especially one that knows how to growl look very vicious when there are prowlers around!
No one would mess with a dog. I feel safe when there is someone with a dog in the beach.
My internet is very bad today 😦 Losing connection every 20 mins.
Truly lovely.
I tend to stay away from social media around Mother’s Day, Jean, but this is lovely. Thank you.
Hi Tara, I know that feeling!
Many thanks for your kind words about the post.
I am so glad that your Mum passed on her love of nature to you! What a beautiful tribute to her in this writing, in these pictures and thank you for sharing your uniquely beautiful thoughts. Well done, Stan for getting you up early!
Many thanks, Angela. I was so fortunate to have her as my mother.