Mum, you are light held in a teacup
Tomorrow you turn 71 — unless we’re celebrating 70 again, because I got the year wrong (again).
71 Reasons
Kindness, wit, and the quiet magic of how you notice everything.
70 Reasons
Because I got it wrong — but also because you’ve earned a bonus year.
1 Big Wish
A year that feels gentle, full, and utterly yours.
Make a wish, Mum
tap the candle
You are the hush before the kettle sings,
the soft true note that steadies any day;
a garden gate that always opens in,
a pocket of light where the busy world can stay.
You make the ordinary kinder to the touch,
turn errands into stories, rain into grace;
if time is a river, you are its calm bend,
where we all learn to breathe, to slow, to face.
May this year bring you bright mornings and slow poems,
and may each step grow lighter, easier, strong;
wild little laughs, and joy that lingers long.
— with love
The 70/71 Mix‑Up
I did the maths, I checked it twice, I told everyone: 70. Turns out, it’s 71. So today you’re 71 years young and 70 years legendary. I’m celebrating both — because you deserve twice the cake.
A Few Tiny Truths
- You are the calm when everything is noisy.
- You have the softest laugh and the sharpest wit.
- You make our whole family feel steadier.
Happy birthday, Mum