Linking up with the delicious Lisa-Jo, writing about someone very dear to my heart, my mummy. I love her to pieces, so the chance to sit down and write about her is a real treat. I'm afraid I don't have any pictures that really do her justice - like Matthew, she doesn't like pictures to begin with, so the choices are slim at best, and I don't have any on this new computer.
Yet.
Watch out, mother :).
GO.
When I think of my mum, many scenes play out. Family dinners; gallons of tea shared; books passed between us like illicit substances (ah, the Thornley-woman addiction to words! She, Sian and I all share this compulsion to dive into the black and white lines of joy, sorrow, horror, adventure); the friendly call of "jammies, please," after a long day at work; the big squeezy hugs as I headed back to school; the fail-safe cupcake recipe which gains more fans every year. She's quite the woman, and if I grow up to be half as cool as her, or half as cool as Matthew's mother Barbara for that matter, I will be high-fiving myself all the live long day. Both families thrive and thrill to strong, impressive, kind women.
When I think of my mum, and what she did, and what she does, one quality really shines out. I'm spoilt for choice really - she's wicked clever, funny, understanding, verbose, kind - but the one quality I most admire in her, the one I covet the most for myself, the one I'll no doubt tell my children all about is her incredible penchant for hard work.
My mother is a grafter.
Never content to sit back and do the minimum, she gives 100% to all that she does. She's had great success in so many areas, and I'm so proud of her for that, but even prouder of the bucket loads of work she's put into it. She left school young, worked hard, raised three kids, then started studying up a storm. She earned her degree and postgrad at the same time as me - commuting down to Aberdeen on the early, early train, then back each evening (that's four to five hours of commuting a day!). I pipped her (barely) to be first in the family to graduate university, she was mere days behind.
Now she works long hours helping children and families and I am constantly amazed by all she achieves and how much time and hard work she puts into things. Whenever I'm tempted to take my foot off the gas, I think of her and getting back into the game happens swiftly.
My awesome, talented, hard-working mum. I'm so proud of her!
STOP.
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