Today is Mother's Day, a day when we celebrate and thank our
mothers for all they do for us. For many mothers this special day has its own
special traditions, from breakfast in bed to flowers to visits or phone
calls from adult children. Every family has its own way to celebrate
the day.
Celebrations of mothers and
motherhood can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who held
festivals in honor of the mother goddesses Rhea and Cybele, but the
clearest modern precedent for Mother's Day is the early Christian
festival known as “Mothering Sunday". The modern Mother's Day began in the United States, at the initiative of Anna Jarvis in the early 20th century.
For me this Mother's Day this year falls on the 7th anniversary of my mother's death, and she has been much in my thoughts in the lead up to today.
My mother, Joy
Patricia Green (nee Pummeroy) was born 24 January 1942 in East Brighton,
Victoria and died 8 May 2015 in Echuca, Victoria.
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Joy Pummeroy, age 11
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A
city girl, my mother 'went bush' in her twenties, taking up posts as a
governess at outback properties in southern New South Wales, near the
town of Wentworth. This was where she met my father, Peter Green and
where my sister and I were born.
My mother's mother, Gladys
Daisy Pummeroy (nee Clark) is the only grandparent I can remember, and
was another major influence on my life. She was born 30 June 1906 in
Brighton, Victoria where she lived her entire life and died 5 August
1995.
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Gladys and Joy Pummeroy, January 1967
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While
I will not have the opportunity to celebrate Mother's Day with these
two wonderful women, I will certainly take some time to reflect upon
their lives and the stories they have given me, safely recorded in my
family history.