In the UK, it's Mothering Sunday. This is the day when everyone is supposed to worship at their mother church, which is their parish church, or where they were baptised. Traditionally, people in service were allowed a day off to go home, and their mothers baked them a cake! Somehow the day has now become joined with Mother's Day, which was invented in the US to commemorate mothers and the hardship they suffered during the American Civil War, and takes place there in May.
    However it started out, on Mother's Day it's now traditional to give your mother a sentimental card with a soppy message in it. As a child, I made my own, complete with awful verse. Back then, I thought poems had to rhyme, and I'd commit all sorts of verbal contortions to come up with ones that fitted. Not that that mattered to Mum. When she had to leave her flat, I came across the cards I'd made for her. The verses were so bad they made my teeth ache, but Mum had kept them for half a century.
    Sadly, Mum is no longer around for me to write her a terrible rhyme, so I've written one for you instead:
       
    When you want a verse
    For your Mother's Day card,
    Try writing your own,
    It isn't that hard.

    The rhyme's not important,
    Because it is true,
    Only one thing matters–
    It's written by you.

    It's good to know I haven't lost my touch. No applause, please!

P. S. Thank you to everyone who downloaded one of my books in the Read an Ebook Week sale. Happy reading!