#R2BC - My Mum My Hero

Last Sunday it was Mother's Day here in the UK and that is why, my Reason To Be Cheerful this week is... My Mum!!!

I'm very lucky because not only is my mum a wonderful mum, she is also my best friend!

I am so proud of my mum and want to take this opportunity to tell her so! Recently she started Slimming World, and although she has stuck to the diet, the weight has been slow to come off. Yet she has stuck to it and not given in or given up! Although she is so very close to losing her first stone, she hasn't yet, but what she has lost is inches! She phoned me the other day all proud because she had found a lovely coat in the sales and she was shocked because it had fit even though it was a size 12 and she hasn't been a size 12 since she was a teenager!

Life hasn't all been plain sailing for my mum though and that's what makes her an even more incredible mum. She was raised in Lancashire by her mother and step-father, the only girl with one full brother and 3 half brothers. Sadly for my mum life growing up wasn't rosy and her family life was chaotic and abusive. Some of the stories she's told me aren't pretty and for her sake I won't repeat them here, only to say it wasn't a good childhood at all and a lot she has actually blocked from her memories to save her sanity.

When she was in her early twenties, she was lucky enough to meet my dad. Funnily enough she met him by pouring a pint over his head! In 1969 they finally married and life began to get better for my mum. My dad is a fantastic guy and he loves my mum unconditionally and gave her all the support she needed to blossom into a loving mum. In 1973 they were blessed by my brother's arrival, a little earlier than they expected but he soon began to thrive. Four years later I made an appearance. Sadly my dad didn't manage to witness either of our births, he fell asleep with my brother and much to my mum's disgust the midwives didn't want to disturb him and with my birth he was canoeing with my brother and didn't make it back in time. In fact my uncle was nearly there as the midwives thought he was just a reluctant new father! Ironically I was actually born on Mother's Day!

Life hasn't always been easy, we've had our ups and downs, especially during my teenage years, but one thing I've always known for sure is that my mum is there for me with her unconditional love and support!

In 2005 when I was heavily pregnant with my 2nd, we were shocked to learn that my mum had suffered several heart attacks. She hadn't realised what they were at the time, even though she has a family history of heart disease as her natural father and her full brother both died in their early 40s. Tests were carried out and it turned out that she couldn't have a shunt and that meant she would have to have a quadruple heart bypass just a few short months after my baby was born. The day before she had to go to Liverpool hospital for her operation, she was babysitting for us whilst we moved house, something that none of my in-laws (apart from one brother) were willing to do and this shows what a generous and caring spirit she has. 

During the operation we very nearly lost her and I realised how fleeting life was and how much she meant to us. Thankfully in the end she made a full recovery and she is a loving nanny to my children. In fact they love their nanny so much that they're always fighting over who is going for a sleepover. She's always there whenever I need her, with a shoulder to cry on, a hug to say everything will be ok, a babysitter when I need to work, advice if I want it, but she knows when to step back and not interfere, allowing me to grow and learn and stand on my own two feet. 

Now my mum is getting older and my dad has retired, old age is weighing heavily on her mind, even more so with all the news recently about poor care and neglect in care homes and I've already promised her that when the time comes she can come and live with us, her and my dad. 

So I would just like to take a moment and say...

Mum, I love you so much. Thank you for always being there for me and loving me unconditionally!

This is my entry for this weeks Reasons To Be Cheerful started by Mich from Mummy From The Heart but this week hosted by Clare over at Seasider In The City. As this is a blog hop, why not join in and share what's making you cheerful this week and make sure you have a look at the other blogs and share the love with a comment or two.