In a newsagency, surrounded by gorgeous cards and gifts, the realisation hit her that she would never again know the joy of choosing one for her mum, and she broke down in tears.
Then a thought occurred to her: couldn’t she celebrate other mothers she admired while honouring her own? Couldn’t she still buy and send Mother’s Day cards? Since then, Karen has celebrated her mum with the Patricia Owen Mother’s Day Gift of Love.
“I honour Mum in my own way each year by sending some letterbox joy to one of my friends who has children,” she said. “It means I still get to buy a gift and one of the gorgeously worded cards adorning the newsagency walls, and each year I get to surprise a different friend, which is lovely. I also send a letter explaining why I’m doing it and thanking my friend for giving me something to smile about on Mother’s Day.
“Each year I turn a sad occasion into an opportunity for joy and celebration for myself and for someone I care about. It’s funny the things that make grief that little bit easier.”
Karen said she doesn’t find it difficult to choose a recipient for her gift. “I feel like each year the person kind of chooses me. Someone will pop into my head when I’m thinking about Mother’s Day, and that’s who I send the gift to. I don’t overthink it; I go with whoever it is I feel drawn to celebrating.”
She also enjoys shopping for a suitable gift to include with her special letter and card: an inspirational gift book, or a cute ornament, or a pretty handkerchief like the ones her mum used to always carry.
While she spends the weeks leading up to Mother’s Day planning the gift and shopping for it, she reserves the day itself for her mum. Every year she spends the day in her cosy Mornington home looking over old photographs, serving herself treats on Patricia’s china plates and watching the movie Enchanted. The pair had often watched musicals together, and while Patricia had never seen the movie, it holds a special poignancy for Karen: she was living in Brisbane and was buying the DVD for Patricia, who had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, when her brother phoned to tell her she should fly to Melbourne because their mum’s condition had worsened. Karen spent six days by her mum’s bedside as she received palliative care at home and was watching Enchanted when Patricia took her final breath.
A prolific writer, Karen is in her third year as secretary of Peninsula Writers’ Club, and Patricia often returns to her thoughts and inspires her work. “It’s cathartic putting memories of Mum to paper,” she said.
Paying tribute to her beautiful mother, the Patricia Owen Mother’s Day Gift of Love brings solace to Karen and joy to every recipient.
Through the steadfast love of her daughter, Patricia’s life will continue to be celebrated for years to come.
