As you may have gathered from all the times I’ve mentioned it. Today is my mother’s birthday.

I’ve mentioned it here before and to be honest there isn’t too much to add.

I am very close to Ma. Partly that’s because she’s awesome and we do like the same things.  Partly it’s circumstance, neither Ma and I have partners so often we do stuff together, including babysitting the boy!

She’s a fantastic mother, I’ve always thought it was because her mother died when she was 14 and since then she’s pretty much been guessing how she should do it. Despite being a ‘baby boomer’ and having a gold plated pension (come on Ma, you know I was going to get that in!). She hasn’t had a very easy life, she didn’t have a mother at the time you really need it and she was married to my father for 20 years, which was not easy. I know that Ben and I while model citizens now have contributed hugely to her natural highlights!

What I admire most about her, is that she never blames anyone else for the bad stuff, she always gets on and does what she has to do.

She’s worked full time for as long as I can remember and when it was difficult to do so. she says that you can have it all, you just have to sleep less! I’ve watched her nurse her father as he was dying and deliver a work project on time, to budget. She didn’t moan and if she felt put upon, she never said.

This is not to say that she’s perfect, she is often convinced that she is right even on the rare occasions that she isn’t. However, she is never ashamed to say sorry and move forward. She doesn’t really cook but did win a baking contest when she was only 11 years old, something that she doesn’t like me to forget.

Ben, Laura, Oli and I are lucky to have her and are hopeful that she’ll make good on that threat to get to 100!

Happy Birthday Ma!