Mother’s Day
Me and my mum, around about 1970
On Sunday, it's Mother's Day here in Canada. When I moved to this beautiful country with my family in 2017, my mum visited a couple of months later, keen to help me and my family settle into our new home.
Sears was having a closing-down sale, so we decided to pop in and see if there were any good bargains to be had. I stumbled upon a nine-piece set of saucepans with lids, priced so low it would have been silly to pass it up. The only catch? The box was massive. But my mum, ever the savvy shopper, convinced me that between the two of us, we would be able to carry it to the car.
After a brief discussion about the logistics of transporting this box that weighed more than my dog, I tapped my shiny new Canadian credit card, purchasing my brand new set of saucepans.
The kitchen department was on the first floor, and to reach the car park, we had to make our way down to the ground level. For some reason — maybe the lift was broken — we thought we’d manage the large box between us on the escalator. I took the front end of the box and my mum took the back.
Before we’d even lifted the box, we started giggling. After a short shuffle to the top of the escalator, I spent what felt like an eternity trying to muster the courage to step onto the first moving step. Visions of my right foot departing down the first moving step and continuing its descent without the rest of my body grew large in my mind. I could hear my mum desperately trying to stifle her laughter while the box between us shook with her efforts.
My mum’s laughter is infectious and it wasn't long before I too was helpless with laughter. Breathing through my fits of giggles, I reached out my foot and pulled it back, over and over again unable to commit to the escalator. Back and forth, back and forth, while my mum and I struggled to hold the box and ourselves together. I knew that the moment I stepped onto that first step, we’d be off, moving downwards and my mum had better be ready.
I don't know how, but we managed to get on and down the escalator without incident. We made it through the shop, crossed the road and found the car parked in the neighbouring car park. By the time the box was in the car, my sides ached with laughter.
Those saucepans have been a part of our kitchen for nearly seven years , proving not only that they were a quality item snagged at a bargain price but also that the best things in life are often the simplest — that laughter is good for the soul.
So — here's to more laughter and to a trusted set of saucepans, a reminder of the power of a shared story with someone you love.
Happy Canadian Mother’s Day, Mum!
