On the day I first put my son into my mother’s arms, I realised I loved them in a similar way. The love between me and my baby was instant and unconditional, I did not question how much he loved me and I had no reservations about giving him everything I possibly could. It wasn’t until I saw my son and mother together that I knew my love for her was the same - because I had only known her for 10 months.
I had imagined meeting the woman who gave birth to me for 30 years. Before it finally happened, I had practised what I wanted to say and thought up what I needed to hear so many times that I shouldn’t have had to think. But, once face to face with her, the relevance of all the missing details meant less to me.