Yesterday was Ma’s last day of work. Ever.

Ma left school at 16 and has pretty much worked ever since. There was maybe 6-ish months of not working when Ben and I were born (maternity leave wasn’t much available 40 years ago!). I make that over 10,000 days of work.

For lots of reasons this week, I’m acutely aware of how I lucky I am to have her, however, today I want to thank her for her example. Whenever a working mother tells me how hard it is, I say I know, my mum did it, in the 70’s & 80’s when not many people did, because otherwise bills would not be paid and children would not get fed.

When people talk about work/life balance, I remember Ma telling me that working full time and having children is possible but you need to be very, very organised!  I don’t recall her ever making a big deal about it but I do feel that she was a trailblazer because no-one else at my school had a mother that worked full time. I knew it was different but I never felt that I was deprived of her in any way. She never missed a school play, a parents evening, or anything that we needed her for.

People keep asking Ma, what she’s going to do now, she keeps saying nothing for at least 3 months because she’s tired and she needs a rest!

She does and I hope she enjoys it…