As it is International Mother’s day today, I thought that I would share a story about my mum despite the fact that we celebrated our Mother’s Day in March.

About 12 years ago, just before my own daughter was born,(I was about 6 months pregnant), I had moved back in with my mum and step-dad. They were both about 70 years old at the time. Anyway I had gone off to work as usual (I worked in an office then) and about halfway through the day I had a call at work telling me that mum had a bad fall and was in hospital.

Luckily the hospital was only a five-minute drive away so I went straight to see her as soon as I could. She looked dreadful, and was obviously in quite a bit of pain. It had turned out that mum was pottering about in the kitchen that morning, and my step-dad had some jobs he had to do, so he went out.

Apparently there was a bit of water on the kitchen floor which mum didn’t see. She skidded in it and went down with a bang on the floor. Unusually, my step-dad was out for longer than normal as he had also called in to see one of my sisters. When he came back Mum was on her hands and knees in the kitchen where she had been for 3 hours.

She is rather well-covered is my mum and my step-dad couldn’t get her up, coupled with that she was in a tremendous amount of pain. An ambulance was called, mum and Len (my step-dad) went to the hospital where it transpired Mum had broken her hip and would require surgery.

She didn’t actually get operated on until the evening after she was admitted for one reason or another, but she never complained at all. When she came home, initially she would use a wheelchair which either Len or I would bump about, carting her around until she could walk, which actually was not that long afterward.

Three months later I gave birth to my daughter and when I came home the next day with precious little bundle, mum was there helping me to bathe her and give me bits of advice.

Unfortunately. I was taken ill myself when my daughter was 2 days old, and I went back into hospital with my daughter, and was there for a week. During this time poor and mum and Len came up every day, wheeling me out for a cigarette and bringing me in home-cooked food (I have always been greedy)!

Despite Mum still waddling unevenly, with her healing hip, she still managed to make the effort to come and see me and make sure me and my daughter were ok.

She is nearly 83 and still hobbling about looking after herself. She is one tough old bird!

I