Mother's Day is pretty much the only day of the year when I willingly get out of bed at an ungodly hour to put on work-out gear, lace up my runners and brave the chilly morning outside.
This morning, it was much colder and wetter than previous Mother's Days. Seeing so many ponchos in the colourful crowd was a funny sight!
I love participating in the run for so many reasons. I find it fun - yep, fun - to be running, jogging, walking, strolling, sometimes almost crawling, alongside so many other people who are there to support a good cause. There were 44,000 participants in Melbourne and a total of 125,000 across Australia this year.
Going down roads lined with trees wearing their autumn colours always take my breath away.
And I always look forward to gorging on copious amounts of fairy floss afterwards!
I'm very fortunate to have never lost anyone to breast cancer, but my heart always goes out to the participants wearing tribute cards. One of the tribute cards I noticed today was on the back of an elderly man, it had a picture of a woman and the words, "My shining light". It broke my heart. But at the same time, it was humbling to be amongst so many who had been affected by breast cancer. It was inspiring to see so many people trying to make a difference - to raise funds and raise awareness for breast cancer research.
I got to thinking later on in the day. Everyone - everyone you've ever met - everyone you've never met - every baby - every person who has died - everyone in every photo you have seen - everyone has, or had a mother. I started thinking about the role and the job of a mother, in light of something else I've been pondering over a lot recently - why do people have children? I can understand that the answer(s) are highly subjective and personal, and I haven't found or formed my own definite answer yet. I have an inkling, but I don't think it'll become clear to me until the second I hold my firstborn in my arms and become a mother.
No doubt about it, being a mother is tough. It's a demanding job. After performing 2 nappy changes and receiving an earful of waaaaaaaaaah yesterday, it dawned on me that this was just a tiny snippet of daily motherly life. Mothers around the world do this and much more, tirelessly, day in and day out.
As I grow older, I only begin to realise that it takes a lot to bring a child into the world. A mother's courage should never be downplayed or disregarded - from carrying us in her womb for 9 months and embarking on a life-long journey of riding the ups and downs with us, as well as everything in between. Mothers everywhere should be saluted - everyday should be Mother's Day!
Happy Mother's Day with all my love to my mother, my sister-in-law, and every mother out there.
Thank you mothers. We wouldn't be here without you.
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