My Mum

Candle lit, feet firmly in snuggly, warm slippers and fingers rapping on the keyboard at a 100 miles per hour.  It was just another night of gruelling blogging when a knock came at the door; my Mum peeked her head through and announced "I'm ready!" and disappeared through to the 'vanity room'.  Rolling my eyes, I followed her into the room and looked at her wet hair.  I hadn't blow dried it in a while.

I began pulling her fine hair through the big round brush and blasting it with warm, not hot, air and it wasn't long before her hair straightened out into a small, glossy waterfall and it was another successful night of hair drying.  I caught a glimpse of my Mum's smile in the mirror and she said something quite unexpected,

"I didn't even have such nicely blow dried hair on my wedding day"

And I stopped.  You didn't?  You mean...what do you mean?  She explained that marrying my Father was probably the most ridiculous mistake she's made and that on the day of her only wedding she had rushed to it from work and her hair was a mess and she didn't even wear a wedding dress.  I remember seeing that photo and yes I do remember her looking quite 'normal'.  For anyone knew, her wedding day photo could well have been a photo of them two going to someone else's birthday party; minimal effort and just about presentable.  I suppose why should I be shocked?  This is coming from the woman who had to clean the house and feed a family on the day of giving birth to me.  I was a cesarean baby by the way.

I smiled at her and although the words couldn't come out, I knew I would blow dry her hair nicely for the rest of her life if I could.  I guess in some ways I would hope to make up for all the pain she's ever gone through and I can't really do much to make her happy but if I can bring back her femininity and pride then it's what I will and shall always do.

It's something small that I do for her every two or three days (she's lucky enough to have bone, dry hair - no grease!) at night time and it takes me little of 15 minutes to make her hair from frizzy, wavy chaos to a sleek, gleaming mane.  Sometimes I really feel like I don't have time or energy but I will always do it and now I will make sure I do do it.  She was never able to go out and make herself look beautiful and she deserves that; my Mother is the world's most courageous and brave woman standing on this Earth.  She probably comes neatly after Mulan.  If there is one purpose I have in my life then it's to blow dry My Mum's hair.

The point of today's blog isn't just to tweak your heart strings; this true story was blogged today so you would go out there and do something for someone else.  Anything.  You know what you are capable of and if you can make a parent, family member or friend happy, it woud mean the world to me and to them.  Something as small and trivial as hair drying makes my Mum happy and it definitely makes me happy. 

So today go and make a commitment to loving others and making someone smile!

Have a beautiful day,

Cherry x

My Mum posing ... this was taken on a very special day.  It was the day after

I broke up with my boyfriend and so she decided to take me to sushi.  I wanted

to stay in bed but she knew some good food is what I needed.  Mums, eh?

PS.  She looks young, doesn't she?  I bet you can't guess how old she is!