Mother’s Day Reflection – by Mrs Leanne Heanly

Hello everyone, it is lovely to be here today to share some of my reflections of Motherhood so far and it is so wonderful to look out and see all of the beautiful Mums, Aunties, Grandmothers and significant maternal role models here today.

My name is Leanne Heanly and I am mother to Olivia 18, Emma 16, Isabelle 15 and Charles 12 almost 13. The four children are only five years apart, so I think at one stage we had three girls in nappies and had shares in Huggies… until we discovered Aldi! Our lives have been characterised by periods of intensity, followed by small moments of calm – mainly when when the children were, asleep! …Or these days when they are all ‘streaming”.

Now, four teenagers in the House is interesting, it is certainly not dull and definitely characterised as ‘intense’! There are four lots of assessments, four venues to be at on Saturday morning for sport (didn’t think that through did we!), four lots of training sessions and dance classes, four lots of parent teacher Interviews, four lots of medical appointments, four lots of stories to listen to at the end of each day. It is all a bit exhausting!

Honestly these are all very special moments that we spend with our kids and I feel so privileged to be able to walk beside each of them and share in the joys as well as the trials and tribulations of my children’s lives and I feel blessed to say I am their Mum.

As a mum there are so many memories to hold onto – the first moments you hold each of your children, the long cuddles, feeling like you are the centre of their world, their little faces lighting up when you pick them up from school or preschool. But as they grow up and with each new stage, there are other wonderful moments to choose from and hang onto. Each new stage is different but just as precious. I think this is my favourite stage so far. As a family we love our walks along the beach, camping trips, and Sunday morning chats with the six of us sitting on our bed, followed by pancakes. These are the moments that bond us closer together as a family and I am sure you all have similar moments and traditions that are special in your own family.

.Motherhood has certainly taught me a lot of things about life. It has taught me that when you think you can’t open your heart any wider, there is still room. That you can feel the hurt that your children feel but you must stay strong. That your children are your best friends but you are still the Mum. That children don’t need lots of things, they need time with you. That I am not perfect and that’s ok. I have learned that our children teach us to stay joyful, playful and more importantly how to use technology.

One very important thing Motherhood has taught me, is “that my own mother was right about everything!  Remember that girls.

She is one wise lady and I would often have my friends coming up to visit her to have a cup of tea and carrot cake and talk about their lives, boys, and what they should do at Uni.

Some of the things she taught me and my brother and sisters are :

That to serve others is the most important thing and that this is what will bring you happiness. She started teaching us this by getting us to serve each other at the dinner table and make sure everyone had the roast beef, vegetables, gravy and mint sauce before we started our own meal.

She taught us that everything happens for a reason, so that when things didn’t go our way, we could take it on the chin and know that there would be better days ahead.

She taught us that women and men had a place in the home and in the workplace, even though she sacrificed her own career to be at home with us, she encouraged us all to follow our passion, move away from the town we grew up in and complete further study so that we could be independent. (I now understand how difficult it must have been for her to watch us all go, but because of her unselfishness we have all remained so close to her.

That when things got hard for us and we were going through a tough time to remember “This too shall pass” and “Give it all to God.” My own kids will recognise that these are all part of my tool kit of Motherly advice.

I have also reflected on the way some of the wonderful women in my life have not only helped to shape me as a mother, but have also been maternal figures in our children’s lives. My wonderful friends, some of whom are here today, and my sisters who are like second Mum’s to our kids have offered their love and support and have had a significant impact on them.

Of course my reflections of motherhood have also centred around Mary – Our Lady, Mother of Jesus.

Mary has had a great influence in my life and many times I have felt her near when I have been going through something with my own children and called on her for support and prayer. Her humility, gentleness and firm guidance of her own son, Jesus, is so inspiring and her obedience to God is such an example of her sacrifice and commitment to him and to her role as a mother.

I just want to wish you all a wonderful Mother’s Day for Sunday and thank you for the opportunity to share my reflections on Motherhood with you today.

Leanne Heanly, Domremy Parent