When you grow up with a Mum like mine, and I hope yours, you never really imagine that one day she will be gone. That day came too soon for my sisters and me, and so today, we celebrate our first mothers day without our beautiful Mum.

Thank you, Mum, for teaching your three girls how to be in this world through action not preaching. Thank you for raising us to be strong, independent and kind. You showed us there’s no place in our world for intolerance or judgement and that there is always plenty of room for fun, laughter and love.

You made sure we knew that Crowdy would always be home, but the world was our backyard and we should find our place in it, and for that, I will always be grateful.

Thank you, Mum, for giving me the freedom to be me; for not just telling me I could be anything I wanted to be but knowing it and making sure I knew it.

It’s lovely how many people tell us, girls, how much you loved us and how proud you were of us and it makes me happy to say that nobody knew that better than we did because you showed us all the time. Thank you for being our greatest cheer squad and for knowing we were yours.

I miss you, Mum. I wish we could have one more hug, one more laugh, one more conversation. I wish there was one more opportunity to tell you how loved you were and still are.

Today I take comfort in knowing that you knew.

Happy Heavenly Mothers Day Mum, we love you.