Skip to content

A Father’s surprise on Mothers’ Day

My father used to surprise me on Mother’s Day with a carnation corsage.
oo

My father used to surprise me on Mother’s Day with a carnation corsage.

Can you picture a young mum (British – mum; American – mom) with three kids, rushing to get into the car to get out the driveway to church (time-sensitive, public destination with young children)?

Seat belts are buckled, after a struggle with the baby seat. Oh-oh. Middle child has a balled up sock in his boot (wistful wailing, angry punctuations). Stop everything, get out, run around the van, remove boot, fix sock situation. Get back into my seat and buckle-up.

But wait. Behind me, another crisis.

“What! You lost superman dolly?” Mum undoes her own seat-belt, runs around the car to locate the he-man dolly. Ugh! car floor has last week’s toast and peanut buttered toast crust – oh, found my favourite pen under a muddy Kleenex, some Lego (well, that’s a bonus find) … and the figurine is hiding in rubble under the passenger seat. Superman is back into your little man’s hands. “There, hang on to him please!”

More tears - Mum was too gruff!

Hug child, wipe nose (his and yours), run back into the house and get everyone a drinking box for the 20-minute road trip, restoring calm and quiet.

“Motherhood is the exquisite inconvenience of being another person’s everything.” I don’t know who said that, but it’s true, it can be a joy, and it can be taxing.

So, amid this kerfuffle, my father, a widower living in a home across the yard from us, showed up at my car just in time, with a white carnation for me. White, I suppose, because my own mum was no longer living.

I was touched. I wish Dad was still here so I could tell him how much his kindness on Mothers’ Day meant, both then and even now, as I look back on it. That little gift had a heavenly touch.

Over the years he continued to present me with a white carnation, or something pretty. And I was always surprised by that.

Now, I am reminded to pass that loving gesture on to some mum who needs it. We have a whole week to think about it. Maybe, do something special for a young mum, or for an old friend. There’s no formula. It could be flowers, a hug, a card or the spoken words “You’re doing a good job” or “I appreciate you”. For me, Sunday, May 12 is an opportunity to surprise someone.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks