Shropshire Star

Jack Averty: A big shout out to the mums who deserve appreciation

They're fascinating beings, mothers are. I've always thought they would make a brilliant focus for a David Attenborough documentary.

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You can just imagine his iconic tones as you're shown a scene of a son bringing a girl home for the first time.

"And here we see her, the mother, twitching uncontrollably as she is introduced to her son's girlfriend. She's fiercely protective of her pack and that is demonstrated here as the 'hello' barely makes it through the gritted teeth."

I jest, partly, but I'm sure we can all agree, mothers deserve to be celebrated like no other.

It's almost like they should've their own day where they get showered with love and gifts.

Growing up, being a massive brat, I was flat out furious at the notion that my mother would have a day dedicated to her that was not her birthday. This fury was only compounded when I learnt about Father's Day as well.

"When is Son's Day?" I would quip at both far too frequently. Quip is a generous term given that it was not funny the first time I said it, but I'm a generous guy.

I obviously feel terrible about this teenage behaviour, especially now when I can truly appreciate how great mums are.

They help to shape you as a person, they give the best advice, they teach you essential life skills, they get you all the best school gossip – the list is pretty much endless.

Like David Attenborough will say in his documentary when I get it commissioned, they're indeed fiercely protective and will always put you first. Their happiness depends purely on yours. How many other people do you know like that?

But away from the soppy stuff, mums also have the weirdest traits and characteristics.

One of my personal favourites of my mum always rears its head on Christmas Day. The Averty family has a brilliant tradition of getting as many family members together for Christmas lunch which my mum, flanked by two of my aunties, would cook. My dad would be on washing-up duty while everyone else, especially me, would play the pivotal role of getting in the way.

As all mums do she'd eat last. There would be plates piled high with turkey, half a dozen roast potatoes and more gravy than there is water in the English Channel. For her? Half a slice of turkey and some Brussels sprouts. Why? "I'm not that hungry."

You have just cooked dinner for 20 people and not eaten since yesterday, how are you possibly not hungry? She insisted she wasn't, and, as we all know, stubbornness in mums is not to be budged.

On top of the funny traits there is, of course, the infuriating ones as well. My mum's favourite saying for me growing up was 'I know everything'. Despite repeatedly bringing the pain to my dad in various Trivial Pursuit match-ups I can confirm she didn't, in fact, know everything.

The saying would be wheeled out at any opportunity, especially when she managed to secure a particularly juicy bit of school gossip, normally from one of her fellow lunching friends.

"Wow, really? How did you find that out?"

"I know everything," she'd say

"Very funny, seriously how do you know?"

"I've told you, I know everything".

After this exchange continued back and forth for several rounds with our voices rising each time, my dad would be forced to pause Last of the Summer Wine and intervene.

I'm sure I've caught her out before but the 'knowing everything' mask most definitely slipped last weekend when she was over to visit.

I proudly told her over dinner that I had 'a couple of horses come in' following the Cheltenham Gold Cup earlier in the day. She looked at me pretty confused and quizzed: "Come in where? The office?"

Not quite Mrs-know-it-all after all, ey mum?

Also on that weekend we nearly came to blows as I threw an almighty strop, one my 14-year-old self would have been proud of, over whether I would get a dishwasher in my new home.

Apparently, cupboard space is more important, but try telling that to my mouldy plates.

Needless to say my mother won, as they nearly always do.

But that's what mums are all about, they go through it all with you. They're smiling with you through the good times and are there in the thick of it, looking after you through the bad.

As I mentioned earlier it was really difficult to see this when I was younger as I think you unconsciously take parents for granted, if you're lucky enough to still have them in your life. Mum's cook for you, do your washing and provide that vital shoulder to cry on when your teenage heart is crushed. All of this is taken as a given. Well, of course, I would get food cooked for me every night, have clean clothes and be loved and cherished, I'm just like every other kid.

Mums have set a fantastic example of love and care. Them going above and beyond is not the norm, yet we unfairly except that it is.

Through all the strops and nasty comments that were flung her way my mum should have dialled back on the love a long time ago. But she never did, just like I'm sure many others wouldn't, and that's a true testament to just how great mums are.

It's an absolute blessing to have a mother and I feel incredibly guilty for not recognising this sooner. But luckily I have the opportunity to write a column to apologise for massively under-appreciating her.

So happy Mother's Day mum, sorry I'm a bit of a pain, love you.

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