Thanks Mum

Nina is 21 today. Where did my life go? Subconscious working overtime, I was awake for the early-morning time she was born. We gave her some money to go to a festival this weekend, and a TV as a surprise gift.

For a special birthday treat, I offered to give her a lift to her job, usually a half hour walk away. The trouble is that she doesn’t drive and I didn’t know where the job was. We picked a route we thought we knew, but in the year that Nina has been at Uni a new housing estate has been built and the road layout changed. Lost, we got out the sat-nav, but the little voice was perplexed, taking us in ever increasing circles as the traffic built up.

Already ten minutes late, but luckily still laughing, I drove Nina to the nearest point from which she could find the way on foot – virtually home. ‘Thanks Mum.’

In my bad sitcom life it’s a parable of motherhood: trying to do my best, blundering about making mistakes, and still somehow managing to have great kids.

Happy Birthday Nina (sssh, she hates it when I write abut her).