Mother's Day

I was woken by a kiss on Mother's Day, and then my Poppet whispered, "I love you, Mummy," and I knew instantly how very, very lucky I am.
My little ones, while frequently driving me to the edge of distraction, are also my joy and my delight and crack me up laughing on an almost hourly basis.
Just before she wakes in the morning my Poppet will start giggling, and say things from her dreams. This morning it was "Girls can do anything!"
Of course we can, darling, of course we can.
My Sprocket still climbs into my lap, pulling my arms tightly around himself, to inform me of important things about robots and his Kindy friends. His 'I love you's' and soft kisses are much rarer, but so very  special.
On mother's day, I remembered my first mother's day, five years ago, puke-bucket in hand in bed with morning sickness, my Sprocket still summersaulting in my tummy, the heady smell of lilies surrounding me, and so very, very impatient to meet my baby, to be a mum.
And here it is, I'm a mummy, and it's so very much more than I could have imagined.
How could I have imagined two little people so very much themselves; so droll, so determined, so loving, so adventurous, so curious. How could I have imagined my Sprocket's funny faces as he tells me a story, or my Poppet's hilarious intonation.
We drove to the city for mother's day, to see my own Mama. As always at my parents, we were surrounded by books and music, endless cups of tea, great feasts of food and news from around the world. My Poppet followed my mum around like a little duckling, trailing her down the garden and around the house, my Sprocket pounced on his new treasures, robots found in the local op-shops. As usual, we left with our car laden with gifts -  East Timorese Coffee, wine, special-Sprocket-robots, warm jumpers and dahlia tubers.
And I was reminded of all my parents gave me growing up: a passion for reading and story, the joy of music from all around the world, a passion for justice and to help those oppressed and in need, support and encouragement to follow my dreams, a love of learning and an understanding of the importance of robust debate. The importance of checking your sources. A delight in the outdoors and green, growing things. An awareness of how vast and terrible, fragile and beautiful this world of ours truly is.
And I was reminded again of how much I want to give these things to my children.
As a mother, we have been gifted with so much, and our responsibility is so great.

I'm joining with Maxabella over at Village Voices and 52 Weeks of Grateful, so grateful that two little people have been entrusted to me, and that I'm their mummy, and in overflowing gratitude for my own mum and the world she has given me.