Mother's Day Special: Meet the blogger & super mama behind A Bird With a French Fry
Mother’s Day is a special day to celebrate all the mummies out there, near or far. And while everyone thinks they have the best mum in the world, and they insist on proving it by buying one of those hilarious mugs each year, this Maltese mama is something else.
Meet Lorinda Mamo, the supermum who juggles everyday life and her son’s medical conditions. A mummy to little Henry (a PBS survivor with Chronic Kidney Disease), Lorinda spoke to us about her vision on motherhood and how it has changed her for the better.
“To me, motherhood means a love deeper and more profound than I ever imagined was possible. I had always heard about this deep love you’d have for your child but I wasn’t prepared for the incredible bond I felt with this little human the second I knew I was pregnant.”
“Motherhood also means getting up everyday and thinking of the specific medical needs of my child while creatively trying to be a role model, a teacher and a source of entertainment,” she says. Lorinda tells me she feels a great responsibility towards her son to create a safe space for him to explore his emotions without being judged. “Motherhood also means encouraging him to be true to himself but also to be kind, grateful, compassionate and thoughtful while never letting anything get in the way of exploring the world any way he can.”
Lorinda also tells us about the struggles she faces due to Henry’s medical condition. “I could say that, after becoming a mother, my life changed because I had a tiny human to care for but it is a little more complex due to all the medical issues. Life changed incredibly and it wasn’t only about being a mother, but being a mother of a sick child. When I became a mother, I was presented with a whole new set of rules for life, living, caring for and taking care of another human being.”
Motherhood has also helped Lorinda see life in a new way and is constantly learning about herself in the process. “I became aware of a strength I never knew I had and most likely would have never known I had, if I did not have my child. From the start, I had to do my best to be as strong as possible to keep myself together.” Lorinda says that before she became a mother, she never realised how important self-care is. “At first it felt so selfish. I always felt that doing something for myself was selfish and wrong, but I soon learned that I had to take care of myself in order to be able to take care of him.”
Henry has brought joy in Lorinda’s family’s life in ways she could have never imagined. “Before I had my son, the smallest thing might have brought me down. When I became his mother, I learned how to stay positive even in difficult times and even when I feel like everything is falling apart, especially because I know he is watching me.”
“Nothing in the world compares to the love I receive from my son. We have a very difficult yet rewarding love/hate relationship, mostly because of struggles with his treatments, but the love I receive from him surpasses everything. It is really isn’t like anything else I have ever felt.”
“Watching him grow, develop, think, learn, play, interact with others and reach milestones that were thought to be unattainable gives me a feeling that fills my heart with a joy I cannot describe in words.”
Lorinda also had some wise words to say to mothers out there. “So many times I hear people giving advice to moms or soon-to-be moms or new moms and all I can think of is how individual our situations are and it’s rarely a one-size-fits-all situation. Being a mother is one of or the biggest learning curves you’ll ever go through and we all go through it because there is no manual. You and your child are learning from each other, and things don’t have to be perfect.”
While Lorinda’s family doesn’t have traditions set in stone, they will still be celebrating the day together. “Mother’s Day is every day, just like other holidays. I don’t wait for a day to celebrate each other, happiness, new beginnings or anything else. Last year my son was in the hospital until Christmas Eve, in February he was discharged just before his 6th birthday and we recently spent Easter in the hospital as well. The most important thing for me on Mother’s Day is to be together, no matter where we are and no matter what we do, and I guess that is a tradition in itself. Everyday is a good day to celebrate love, life and each other.”
Happy Mother's Day Lorinda!