Without whom…..

Today, on Mother’s Day, I honour my mother, my mentor, my manual. A personal post here in a public platform as without her, IncludeME SES would not exist. As a lead aged-care and dementia nurse, Mum modelled a style of being that I try to inject in all that I do; hoping the IncludeME SES family feel her magic through me.

My Mum.

As a child, I was “forced” to go to work with mum on weekends. Mum was a solo mum and things were tough back then. I clearly remember the first few times as a tiny little thing, watching mum change adult diapers, sing folk songs with her “darlings”, stroke their cancer-riddled cheeks and hands and scrutinise care charts ensuring her “darlings” only received the best care from her nurses. She would talk about her “darlings” all the way home in the car and also around the dinner table, dinner which she cooked, every night. No matter how tired, Mum insisted on table manners, reminded us about turn-taking and scored at the baseball games before returning home to stick sequins to my dancing costume. Mine and a few others. costumes, those friends without mums who were sticking sequins.

My Mum raised me to care for those without a voice, advocating for respect in spite of difficulties or a need for support. She encouraged me to imagine people without their challenges; dancers, politicians, teachers and chicken farmers; they all had their own magic and I needed to get to know that magic in order to truly be able to help them.

Mum showed me how slow and steady wins the race, but generosity is never unnecessary. Every sequin counts, never to miss a step, nothing but my best.

Today, I honour the magic of my Mum and thank her for all that she has meant to you, the IncludeME SES Family.