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The Reverend Kate Bottley, a Church of England priest in North Nottinghamshire:

A big part of Sunday in our house, Chris, is going to see my Mum, and at the end of the visit, without fail, she presents me with what we affectionately call a ‘Mum’s carrier bag’.  You see, my mum can’t bear to see anyone leave empty handed and so as we put our shoes and coats on I’m usually presented with a bag for life with various bits and bobs in it that she’s saved throughout the week. An old magazine, plastic tub of left over stew, a cutting from that plant in the garden I admired a few months ago. Items not great in monetary value but precious with love.

If I’m honest not everything in the carrier bag is of much use but I find myself unable to refuse. It’s not that I want the promotional material for the discount supermarket having the special on ski wear, far from it, but rather that in the giving and in the accepting of the gift comes something that speaks of a greater value than the treasures in the bag and I wouldn’t dream of refusing.

I’m mindful of course that one day there won’t be a generous, loving mum around anymore to give a bag full of treats. I know of course that something else is going on. That in the giving, despite my years, my kind mum is giving me more than stuff I don’t really need, what she’s doing is still providing for me, showing the kind of love and care only a mum can.

In the Bible, the book of Acts talks about it being more blessed to give than to receive. And certainly when my mum bestows her carrier bag of care on me neither of us are under any illusion that she gets more out of it than I do. I thank God that she’s still here to do it.

I look forward to the day when I can hand my own kids carrier bags of love, to hear the same half hearted protests of how unnecessary it all is, I also look forward to them taking them and the strange satisfaction of despite them being grown ups knowing I’ve provided and nurtured them because in the giving of a gift its not just the recipient that is blessed.