Honouring our mothers

In a nod of deference to the mothers within our Scarab family and beyond, we’re celebrating Mother’s Day beyond Mother’s Day – declaring May to be Mother’s Month.

We want to commend the women who always put the art of motherhood first in their lives. Worldwide we see moms juggling their time. They seem to possess the inordinate ability to manipulate their careers and private lives. They effortlessly step in as taxi driver, master chef, nurse for all ailments including broken hearts and dented egos, life coach, guardian warrior and expert worrier, money maker and donator, highly skilled hugger and political shaker. The list is endless, but then again, so is their love.

On 12 to 15 May, the UK will be toasting a very important mum: Queen Elizabeth will be celebrating her 90th birthday with a massive party in the private grounds at Windsor Castle, which will include 1 500 participants and 900 horses. The event promises to take us through her 90-year journey from the excitement of the royal birth, through World War Two, her marriage, the coronation and her reign of more than 60 years.

The story of Janine Davidson’s mother – Helen

A bit closer to home, yet no less regal, is Helen Davidson, the mother of Scarab’s Janine. Helen was born at home in the spring of 1929, in the village of Condover, Shropshire, England. Condover was well known during the Second World War; the Royal Air Force opened its training airfield for fighter and bomber crews there in 1942. Perhaps this is what nurtured Helen’s later love of things with wings.

In 1952, after completing her education in hotel management, she received an invitation to attend her cousin’s wedding in South Rhodesia. After sailing down to Cape Town, Helen, her mom and her brother hired a Morris Minor and drove the 2 500km on dust roads up to Rhodesia.

Helen stayed on after the wedding and started working at Air Rhodesia. She’d fallen in love with Africa and later, she fell in love with Jack Davidson, a pilot. They married and had four children; as Helen loves to say, “There was no TV back then.” They settled in Harare and she still lives there today.

Helen gets up each morning; dresses as though she’s meeting her best friend for coffee; puts on her favourite items of jewellery; and sets off to tend to her horses and other animals on her smallholding. She carries herself with such grace and personal pride, she wouldn’t look out of place at that Windsor Castle birthday party.

Janine credits her mother for encouraging her love of beautiful things. She remembers going shopping and Helen picking out unique pieces of jewellery, many of which she still has today. Although she laments the things she never bought at the time as they were often sold when she went back. Janine has created many beautiful items for her mother, either with a specific stone that she has given her, and sometimes just with her mom in mind.

We would love to hear the tales about items of jewellery you have bought your moms; how you chose these pieces; jewellery she may have inherited and that will be passed on to you; and what your mother means to you. Share your story, accompanied with a photo to ida@scarabjewellery.co.za. We want to share as many stories as we can during May.