My teens have been writing me lovely heartful letters on Mother’s Day. I can’t quite recall when the childish drawings evolved to long letters and elaborate handmade gifts, but it must have been around the age of 12 or later.
For the past week, Kate has been showering me with her little doodly Mother’s Day cards, gifts bought from her school bookshop, and cut flowers beautifully arranged in vases. But what surprised me on Mother’s Day itself was a letter of gratitude.
Dear Mom,
Thank you for: putting me to sleep.
Thank you for: making me dinner.
Thank you for: trying to earn more money to go on a holiday just for me.
Thank you for: playing with me.
Thank you for: staying at home and making me lunch.
Thank you for: paying a lot of attention to me when I was a baby.
Thank you for: being my mom from a baby until now.
And have a Happy Mother’s day!!!
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I’m surprised that it comes so naturally for Kate to be aware and able to articulate the things she is grateful for at such a young age.
Years ago, when one of my older girls finished her O levels, they wrote a letter of gratitude to their parents which was presented on graduation day.
My daughter was going through a rebellious phase then, and she found the whole exercise extremely superficial because they were given a template to follow and she felt ‘forced’ to write it and had to hand in the letters to the teachers to be checked before they were given out.
I remember that it was awkward for her to write that letter, and it took her a long time to reflect on what she was grateful for.
Another one of Kate’s letters read:
Dear mom,
Thank you for being my mom. I know it’s hard to be a mother for 5 children and me. And trying hard to earn money.
Have a Happy Mother’s Day!
At the age of 6, she is able to see another person’s perspective and acknowledge how tough it must be for me. Wow!
I gave her a gigantic hug, thanked her for her cards and letters and told her that no matter how hard being a mum is, it is all so worth it.