Happy Special Woman Day

I can't think of anyone who doesn't have a Special Woman in their life or who hasn't had one in the past. Of course men have special roles in our lives too but today I am writing specifically about women because we are 3 weeks away from what has historically been called Mothering Sunday or Mother's Day.

I have never taken it literally to mean the person you call 'Mum'. Throughout my life, I've been lucky to have had strong relationships with a number of women and each one deserves a mention. So here's my list:

1. My Mum - the obvious one
2. My Aunty Judy - After my Mum she was my closest female relative and one who acted as a role model in my life. She was born in 1910 a completely different era to me. She had Edwardian values that she passed onto me and taught me about the finer things in life at a time when my parents could ill afford little luxuries. 
3. My Maternal Grandmother - She didn't enter my life until I was 7 (She'd lived overseas) and she had the time and patience to let me watch her sew. However, she did not possess the patience to keep quiet when I wanted to record from Top Of The Pops on a Thursday night!
4. My Maternal Great-Grandmother -  She taught me to crochet and fascinated me as she had lived as a child in Istanbul and still wore Turkish leather slippers with the toes curled up. I have no idea where she bought them from but she always had a pair. She also had a little Turkish coffee pot and used to make herself a cup every afternoon.
5. My Auntie Marjorie - She introduced me to gathering together friends and family around the TV to watch an 'Event' with a buffet spread to tuck into at an appropriate time. The first such event was the wedding of Princess Anne to Captain Mark Phillips.
6. My Great Aunt Margaret - She'd married my Great Uncle Billie a former Canadian Mounted Policeman late in life and they lived in what I always regarded as the house of my dreams! It was basically a Country Cottage with a large barn/outbuilding. Everyone else I knew lived in pretty standard pre-war semi's so it was always a treat to visit White Cross Lodge. She drove round in a Morris Minor Woody, had a very old Aga in the kitchen and lived an outdoor life, walking her dogs and keeping on top of the quite large garden that came with the house. 
7. Mrs Smith & Mrs Phipps - Teachers - I'm sure if I really thought about it, that I could add more to the list but these 2 ladies were so engaging that they easily drew me into their subjects and had me captivated.
8. Jenny- My Work Mum - Yes, when you first enter the world of full time, grown up work, you need a mentor to guide you through. Someone to look up to and learn from.
9. Best Friends - As you grew older and certainly in my case, I am now left with just my Mum and my Best Friends. They are the peers you trust, confide in, laugh and cry with.

So as we approach Mothering Sunday, remember that it is not just about buying your Mum a card and Flowers, you can also buy these other Special Women a card and gift. It can just be a plain card with a long note inside and the gift can be thoughtful. A kit to make a felt floral bouquet or arrangement if the gift that keeps on giving:

1. A skill to learn
2. Fun to make
3. Plan how to use
4. Many years of admiring your work and reminiscing about the time you received it

So to all the Special Women above, my life if richer for knowing you all.