They say you can only truly understand your mum and what she went through once you have kids yourself and that is something I can definitely agree and identify with.
I always knew my mum did it tough, being a single mum with two small children in the 80s and with no family close by to support her, yet despite everything, she still managed to somehow keep everything together and ensure we had everything we needed.
I remember I used to always watch mum drive off early in the mornings as she made her daily trek to work and I distinctly remember feeling a sense of sadness that I never got to walk to school with my mum or that it was always someone else that had to do my hair in the mornings.
Sometimes because of the crazy hours mum used to work, we used to have to go to work with her, so she would pack us in the car at 2am where we would sleep on a make shift bed made from a mattress laid out in the back of the car and I remember how the lights used to pass over our faces as we drove along the Ipswich Motorway, still half asleep.
Mum would then park at the back of her work where we would sleep until the sun came up and we would have breakfast and catch a lift to school with some of the courier drivers. When I re-tell this story, I know that it sounds almost sad, but to my brother and I it was just normal and if anything, it was kind of an adventure and we never saw ourselves as weird or lacking anything.
I also remember the time mum was fired from her job because she had to take the time off to nurse me while I had measles and even though I knew things were bad at the time, it’s only now that I have kids of my own that I can fully appreciate the terror she must have felt not knowing how she was going to put food on the table.
Despite everything though, mum still managed to make ends meet and her resilience and work ethic are two of the many qualities that I love and admire most about her and I hope that one day I too can emulate those qualities and pass them on to my girls.
Happy Mother’s Day Mamma <3
Myjanne Jensen is a full-time journalist and mum of two girls, soon to be four (twin girls due April 2018).
Myjanne has written for She Society (formerly She Brisbane) in addition to her full-time role for more than two years, where she has focused on writing about life as a mother to two young children and has covered a range of other topics such as physical and mental health and well-being, relationships, beauty, fitness, societal trends and issues.
To follow Myjanne, visit her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/myjannejensenjournalist/), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/myjannejensen/) Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/myjannej/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/myjannej)
Myjanne has a strong interest in a variety of different issues ranging from women’s rights, social justice, health and wellbeing, multiculturalism, human behaviour, music and the arts.
Connect with Myjanne on Facebook, Twitter or read some of her other published work on her blog.
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