Flowers are a good gift on Mother's Day next Sunday, but heartfelt words are appreciated by mum too. Photo / File
She's one special lady, the woman we call mum.
We might have seen a lot of her in the last six weeks while we've been mostly restricted to our homes in the fight against Covid-19.
Or we might have only seen her through the screens of our computers and phones.
For some of us, her love carries on in our memories.
There are many things which make her special; hugs and kisses, words of comfort and support, humour and determination in the toughest of circumstances.
Former US president Abraham Lincoln put it graciously when he wrote that all he was, or ever hoped to be, "I owe to my angel mother", while writer James Joyce shared a similar, if more bluntly-delivered, message.
"Whatever else is unsure in this stinking dunghill of a world a mother's love is not."
Closer to home, and this century, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern last year paid tribute to her mother on what was her own first Mother's Day since toddler Neve's birth.
"Just when you thought you couldn't be any more grateful for your mum than you already are, you have your own child and your appreciation for your mum keeps growing with every day that passes."
We want to hear your stories about the person you call mum this Mother's Day.
Tell us why she's special.
Send your responses to cherie.howie@nzme.co.nz before 10am Wednesday May 6.
And make sure to include both your full names and a photo, either of mum alone, or with you.
The Herald will publish some of the tributes online and in the Herald on Sunday on Mother's Day next Sunday.
Each day on The Great New Zealand Road Trip, we catch up with a noteworthy Kiwi.