A Mother's Love

I knew a girl who grew up in a single parent household. Her Mum and Dad divorced when she was very little and only knew life with 1 parent. She grew up idolising her Mum because she did everything she could for her and her sister, so that they could have a childhood that resembled that of a 2 parent household. She worked the hardest she could to provide them with whatever she could. They had a good education and strict rules. The girls are who they are today because of her. She raised them to be decent, giving, caring people, and she did the best job she could, with the resources available to her. She provided for them as much as she could, almost too much, but she did her best. This is what all mothers do, it's their "maternal instinct", to protect and provide.

Next Sunday is Mothers Day, where we remember our Mums, and how much they sacrificed to give us everything they could. It's also a time to remember the Mothers, the Grandmothers and even Great Grandmothers that have passed, that we too, loved so dearly. A Mother's love is un-conditional. It is not a love that asks questions, that judges or that pities others. It is a giving love, an innocent love that has no lengths or bounds. It is a love that will follow us everywhere, and that never fades.

Whether you send your Mum flowers or just call her to say hello, do not pass judgement or ask questions, do not pity her or disrespect her, because until you have walked in her shoes, done what she has done, seen what she has seen, lived how she has lived, you can only have respect for her as a Woman and as a Mother, who has raised you the best she knows how.

Where will your Mum be next Sunday?

The significance of the ANZAC Wreath

ANZAC Day is a day for remembrance and celebration of our soldiers, both past and present. The day normally starts with the Dawn Service at your local RSL club, followed with a day of drinking beer and playing Two-Up. Does this sound about right? Whoops, I left out the Lamingtons and Pavlova! Now we're getting somewhere I'd say. 

Although, one of the traditions on ANZAC day that is sometimes over-looked, or forgotten, is the laying of the ANZAC Wreath, and the importance of it. Every part of the wreath is symbolic, from the laurel leaves it's bound in, to the number of poppies used. Here's a bit more info about the wreath and what's used.

The ANZAC Wreath

Laurel - is a commemorative symbol;  it was used by the ancient Romans to crown victors and the brave as a mark of honour.

Rosemary -since ancient times rosemary is believed to have properties to improve memory, and maybe because of this, it has become an emblem for fidelity and remembrance, in both literature and folklore. Rosemary is also especially significant to Australians as it grows wild on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

3 Red Poppies - The Red Poppy, also known as the Flanders Poppy, was one of the first plants to sprout on the Battlefields in Northern France and Belgium. Even using 3 poppies is significant of the 3 armed forces that took part in the wars. In folklore, it also signifies the blood that was shed on the battlefields.

The Purple "Lest We Forget" Ribbon - The colour purple has long been a colour associated with remembrance and royalty and is used with the saying "Lest we Forget".

The Shape -The shape of the wreath is not the same of that of a normal wreath. One of  the reasons why is the representation of the tears that were shed for the soldiers that were lost.

It's so often easier to go with the norm, but this year, remember the ANZACs and get a traditional wreath, and wear some rosemary!