Mothers’ Day was a beautiful autumn day in Sydney, filled with smiling children, sunshine and chocolate. Who could ask for more?
Well, presents are nice too. Especially the ones made by our children (although shop bought stuff is good too!) When my daughter Connie was little, she used to make me dozens of presents. Cards, collages, strings of beads, craft figures. She would solemnly hand them over one by one. It would take at least half an hour. In the meantime, my son would be eating my chocolates. He shows his love in a different way!
As my daughter grew older, the quantity diminished, but the quality skyrocketed. Her drawings grew more sophisticated. She started to write stories. Her abilities amazed me. Here’s a page out of one of her little hand-written illustrated novels.
Now she’s a teenager (and a very nice one!) she’s given me the best gift I’ve ever had. Better than anything I could have imagined or expected. I’m currently writing a series of children’s books based around Greek mythology. To celebrate, Connie drew a picture of the 12 Olympian gods. If I ever feel the sting of self-doubt when I write, I just need to look at this and feel revitalised 
For all you Mums out there – hope you had a great day. What’s the nicest thing you’ve ever received?
