Me and Me Mam

Rebecca Jade shares why she celebrated her mother through our online Celebrate Her campaign.

I hesitated to say yes to Rosa’s request to write about why I chose to celebrate my mother. It’s not that I don’t love her – I do. But we have a complicated relationship. So this is a chance for me to focus entirely on the positives.

My mother was pregnant with me at 16. When I look at the few photographs of us when I was a baby, she looks so young, almost a child herself. She has a mesmeric beauty and a deer-caught-in-headlights look.

By the time my mother was in her 20's she was a divorced single parent. The ‘80’s were a disastrous time to be in a Welsh quarrying village, and everything was blamed on either Thatcher (fair enough) or Chernobyl. Her friends were mostly musicians and political protesters, unemployed or factory workers. We played board games and did gigs down the beach. We went on CND marches and anti-fox hunting demos and I loved every minute of being at her side.

We moved often - my grandparents' place, council flats, a communal house. There were difficult times and we never had any money, but it didn't matter. Every night she would read to me epic, fantastical books like 'The Lord of The Rings'. Despite being on benefits she somehow managed to fund interests from horse riding to theatre and karate.

When things got so bad in school that I had to leave aged 14, she fought tooth and nail to get me into college early. She succeeded, and I never looked back. Without her support and encouragement I don't know what would have happened to me.

So I not only celebrate my mother for all the above - I'm also a great admirer of her. She is a brilliant writer, one of the best poets I've read, and amazing visual artist.  She is setting up a business encouraging art trade between Africa and the UK, does charitable work, as well as having 3 more children and becoming a (very cool) grandmother. And she's still in her 40's!

I don't tell my mother enough what an inspiration she always has been to me and I'm sure will be to many others too.

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