This Mother’s Day we wanted to share the beauty and story of our own beautiful Mother Cathy. Gentle and loving our Mum has taught us how to enjoy and appreciate each and every little moment and show kindness always. Working as a Registered nurse for over 35 years; Mum has nurtured not only her own family but made a difference in so many peoples live every day.
Who makes up your beautiful family?
My beautiful family is comprised of Greg my husband of 34 years, Hayley our first-born daughter who is 34 and the mother of our first grandson Dusty nearly 3 years and Jayde our 2nd born daughter who has just turned 30.In addition, we have a granddaughter due in June who will be most welcome and is fondly known as ‘baby Ista’ by Dusty.Both our daughters have partners that are so precious and make us so proud. They treat our girls with such respect and have been totally supportive of the Luv Lou dream from its origins.Hayley’s husband Broc was supportive from day 1. He encouraged the girls to go for it and funded the dollars towards sampling to get them off the ground in business. We knew he was a keeper!Since then, he has only gone from strength to strength supporting Hayley in her role as a new mother juggling family and business with a smile. He truly is one of my favourite humans.
Jayde’s partner Tommy has been available at every turn to help with packing and wrapping crates behind the scenes as well as being a listening ear at the end of the day as the business was growing and the girls were feeling the stress and excitement attached to it all. He is a lovable character with a heart of Gold. We couldn’t be more delighted to welcome Tommy into our family in November when he and Jayde officially say I DO!!!
Greg my husband and the girl’s father is like a Rock. He has been the voice of reason and offered the girls both his time and his encouragement from day 1. After 33 years working as a paramedic, he knew only too well the importance of risk assessing a situation. In real life where timely decisions make a difference, he taught the girls from an early age to be cautious whilst still enjoying life to the fullest!
What does being a Mum mean to you?
Being the girl’s mother is the best thing that I have achieved in my lifetime. I am immensely proud of who they are and what they have accomplished, Mothering is as much about teaching as it is about learning. My girls have taught me so much and I love that about our relationship.
Luv Lou is dedicated to your beautiful Mother Lou, who sadly isn’t with us today.
How would you best describe her? How did it make you feel when the girls name the brand after Lou? What do you love about Luv Lou?
Naming the business Luv Lou came as a complete surprise to me, Louanne my mum was killed in a road accident when Hayley was only 12months old. Jayde never met her unfortunately.Lou was a wonderful woman. She had a strong sense of self and loved her family deeply.It’s beautiful to think that she has not been forgotten and that her presence is strong influencing the girls in such a positive way. We believe she is riding the journey called life with us always. How she would be loving the Luv Lou sunnies!Having daughters of your own what is your best advice for Mothers and Mothers to be?
My best advice to Mothers and mother s to be is to remember to be authentic and share your emotions, your joys and your fears. Don’t be afraid to show your vulnerability at times. Being strong and resilient isn’t sustainable day in day out.Children need to know that their parents have feelings too. I believe that my girls have learnt to deal with their own emotions better because they have been exposed to all of mine.
There are many seasons of Motherhood throughout your life. Looking back which season was your favourite and which was the hardest?
We were told a long time ago that the best investment in life was family and it has proved to be the truth. I can honestly say that throughout the seasons of motherhood I have experienced many highs and several lows which I see as being an integral part of growing and accepting the journey that is life.It’s who we share these times with and how supported we feel during the stages that makes all the difference. Having my husband Greg and two beautiful daughters to talk to over the years has been wonderful. A family spinach pie night or Greg’s famous chicken and broccoli pie has traditionally brought us together as a family round the table where the cone of silence is lowered and we talk openly and honestly with one another. A family table that you love is something to be treasured.Some of the best times have been the obvious ones like babies and grand babies arriving. But equally some of the best times have also been some of the worst.Saying our goodbyes to both sets of grandparents was an opportunity to stop and reflect on all that was good and all that these wonderful human beings had done for our family.
