I can't even begin to count the number of things my mother's done for me over the past twenty-one years. It is an infinite list, I think to myself, one that is filled with so many positive intangibles: love, affection, time, energy, nurturing, patience, care, concern, and advice, all of which can never be bought by money.
So, you want to know just how great a mother's love can be? A simple examination of the day's events will tell us all we need to know about how wonderful my very own mother can be, and the many sacrifices she has made for me, not simply on this day but everyday that I've lived.
My mum had surprisingly awakened before I left the house for work. She saw me dressed in my white polo shirt, looked at me lovingly, and said: "You look very good in that white polo, you should wear them with those new white shoes of yours! Are they comfortable? I'm glad I took the time and effort to handwash your favourite shirts instead of throwing them into the washing machine, because I can see it's paying off!" She took a step back and smiled, admiring her handiwork.
She's been washing my clothes for twenty-one years, and counting. That amounts to approximately 7,700 days. If she washes the clothes, say, once every five days (and I think this is a conservative figure), that still amounts to 1,540 washes. Can you imagining washing clothes 1,500 times for someone else? You'd probably be so annoyed at washing another person's smelly undergarments that you'd throw them back where they came from. And that's still not factoring in the tedious hand-washings, hanging up the clothes to dry, keeping the clothes, or folding and sorting them them neatly. Oh, and I conveniently left out everyone's favourite chore: ironing. Now now, hands up to all those who dare claim that they do not dislike ironing in the slightest.
Oh, and she just texted me to inform me that she's repaired the strap for my favourite LeSportsac messenger bag, all in the space of a single morning. She's declaring it to be 'as good as new', and, based on her marvellous skill with a needle and thread, I certainly wouldn't bet on the strap snapping again over the next couple of years, at the very least.
HAPPY MOTHER'S WEEK, MUM. You deserve something from me this year, and every year from now onwards.