20 Great Quotes About Mothers from Adele Parks

Mother’s Day is all about celebrating maternal love - the undisputed warp and weft of family life. Here are twenty extracts from my twenty novels looking at the chaotic, utterly brilliant relationships we have with our mothers - birth, adoptive, step and in-law.

1) Playing Away - Connie

I manfully separate Becky-from-ballet and Tom-from-Tumble-Tots, who are viciously thumping each other to within an inch of their lives. No one else seems bothered that feasibly there could be a bloody and foul murder on Rose’s shag pile carpet. All the mothers are sitting discussing the colour of poo and the texture of Heinz baby food, I think I’ve got that the right way around.

2) Game Over - Cas

I also know from experience that if I want to ingratiate myself with Darren I have to make his mother like me. It’s amusing that almost always the reverse is true of a man trying to impress a woman. My mother’s approval is a grade A turn off.

3) Larger Than Life - Georgina

Sam was right about being in love. It’s not about worshipping from afar. It’s not about adapting yourself, editing yourself, moulding or changing yourself. He makes me feel I can be entirely myself. He makes me feel that I can be more than I am. He is potential. He’s realization. I’m in love with him.

He needs his nappy changing.

4) The Other Woman’s Shoes – Eliza

Eliza was naturally a brunette although only her mother knew this.

5) Still Thinking of You – Kate

‘We’ve finally found a reliable babysitter. She actually turns up when she says she will.’

‘Oh, that’s good,’ smiled Tash. Kate knew that Tash wouldn’t have a clue just how good, so she pushed home her point.

‘It’s taken seven years.’

6) Husbands – Bella

Grief is so lonely. It stains everything it touches and builds huge divisive walls. I should know, my mother died of cancer when I was nine. I will never stop feeling cheated.

7) Young Wives’ Tales – Connie

The little girl has flung her arm around her mother’s neck and is balanced on one leg as she re-tells some tale about playground antics. They mirror one another’s expressions of delight, surprise and wonderment and they both laugh at the same time as the child delivers what must be the punch line to the story. They are beautiful.

8) Tell Me Something – Elizabeth

I watch couples pushing kids in prams. I’m not insensible I know that many of those couples are bewildered and bickering. Sleep deprived and bitchy. But I long to have a domestic about who changes the next nappy.

9)  Love Lies – Fern

My Dad picks up the telephone. ‘Hi Dad, it’s me.’

‘I’ll get your mother.’ So far so good. Situation normal.

10)  Men I’ve Loved Before - Nat

As Natalie had lain on the hospital bed, wrapped in nothing other than a starchy, arse-exposing gown and a paper hairnet she had thought about her mothers. Both of them.

11) About Last Night – Pip

Being a parent was such a huge responsibility. She’d been at it for eight years now and while there were aspects that she’d obviously become comfortable with, each day seemed to present a cluster of new challenges. How would she manage to protect her daughter until she reached adulthood?

12) Whatever It Takes – Margaret

Margaret had the sense to know that a mother-in-law should never pitch herself against her daughter-in-law because, if the mother had done her job properly, the lad would always pick his wife.

13) The State We’re In - Jo

My mother would be jealous of the brilliant paintwork; the place looked so ‘finished’.

14) Spare Brides – Ava

Her mother tried but somehow Ava had put herself beyond that sort of control. No one was ever quite sure of her whereabouts and no one ever had a clue as to what she was thinking.

15) If You Go Away – Howard

His mother held back until he turned to her. Her arms were rigid at her sides. He knew she’d have wanted to fling them wide and fold him into them, but she was made shy or at least cautious by the presence of his London friends. She wouldn’t want to make a show of him. He pulled her tight into an embrace. Little mother. A foot smaller than him now. Yet his rock, still.

16) The Stranger in my Home – Alison

I am a worrier, a fusspot, a bit of a brute when it comes to the completion of homework, thank you letters and the consumption of vegetables. I am forever regretting my past and worrying about her future. I have my faults. But I deliver. I am her Mum and I don’t break promises.

17) The Image of You – Alexia

The next thing is they’re up and running, out of nappies, eating real food and delighting in it. Zoe’s little face when she tasted banana! Anna’s when she tasted chocolate! In a blink of an eye they are developing their own personalities, becoming little people. That gave me something to work with. My love changed. Thickened. It flowed not just from my gut but from heart, soul and head.

18) I Invited Her In - Ben

The deep, impenetrable closeness that there was between his wife and son was mysterious. There was something so intuitive about their relationship, almost animalistic.

19) Lies Lies Lies - Daisy

The way you love a child is different from any other sort of love. It’s more intense and absolute, more demanding. More healing. Friends and lovers come with conditions, parents come with responsibilities, self-love is always butting up against self-loathing - at least that’s been my experience - loving Millie is pure and total. Comforting.

20) Just My Luck - Lexi

I tell myself that most likely there is nothing seriously wrong but my years of mothering means that I do know one thing; if a child doesn’t want to be found, they probably should be.