Why Sunday is not the best day for Mother's Day

The clocks are going forward.

This year we’ve had to wait the longest possible, until the last day of March, for that moment when suddenly the evenings lengthen and you can do things outside after finishing work.

Happy days are here again.

The weekend of the clocks forward always seems to me to be the start of the warm season.

Even if it’s snowing, that extra hour of daylight at the end of the day makes such a difference psychologically.

In contrast, at the other end of the year, when the clocks go back and night engulfs the sun an hour earlier, the last weekend in October always feels as though it is the start of the cold season, even if the temperature is in the 20s.

There is however, one reason why I wish that Sunday will not be the Shortest Day.

Sunday March 31 this year is Mother’s Day or Mothering Sunday, whichever you prefer.

If you forget to put your clocks forward and get up at your usual Sunday time, you might be a whole hour late for whatever treat you have planned for your mother (or grandmother or great grandmother).

She may never forgive you, unless of course, she forgot to put her clock forward as well.

Make sure you give yourself a reminder for tomorrow morning.

Mothers are special.

Yes I know fathers can be too, but the time to praise fathers is later in the year.

In any case, think of what a mother has to do.

First there are those sleepless nights and the getting out of bed in the early hours, of which the bulk will fall on the parent who has the shorter working time. In so many families, that is the mother in today’s society.

There are those first four months learning which cry means "I’m hungry", which cry means "Nappy change Now!", and which cry means "I’m yelling because I’m unhappy about something and I’m not going to stop, ever".

A mother is never off duty.

It’s 24-7 care for a demanding charge who becomes ever more difficult to keep safe as he or she learns the joy of movement and how to pull books off shelves and pots off ovens onto their heads.

Then they learn how to open doors and explore all those fascinating containers with household chemicals in them.

Mothers have to stop all that.

As they grow into teenagers, a mother has to encourage them to learn school subjects they hate and her problems can include combating drug taking, drunken misbehaviour and general anti-adultness.

Even after teenagers grow into responsible adults and have children of their own, they never cease to be your children.

Many a middle-aged adult has found a shoulder to cry on or a helping hand from their mother and is not ashamed of it.

Motherhood lasts for a lifetime.

As children we appreciate the comforting hug, as teenagers we appreciate the bank and taxi firm of Mum and Dad and at all ages including adulthood, we appreciate the cook in the kitchen.

But it is only once we are adults and perhaps parents ourselves that we can appreciate all that our mothers endure for us; the worries that she hid behind a calm face when we stay out late or are away from home; the smiles and "well done" during a school production overflowing with mistakes and bad acting; and the stress of shouting until she is hoarse on the touchline as yet again, the wrong side wins in a children’s football or rugby match.

Mothers merit more than a day of being pampered and cherished, they merit a week.

This year, they are not even getting a full day of 24 hours but are being short-changed with 23 hours.

So we have to make every minute of every hour count on Sunday.

Thank you, all Mothers, Grandmothers and Great Grandmothers.

Happy Mothering Sunday or Mother’s Day, every second of it.