Mother's Day: a real family day
For Nathalie, Mother's Day is a real family moment, which she looks forward to every year: "Mother's Day is always a real family day for us. As on other holidays, I attach great importance to having my parents and my own children around me. My mum has always been my guide; a beacon in my life. She has done that super well! Even today, she is still there for us. On Mother's Day, I would like to give her an extra thank you for everything she ever did for me and us. Even my own daughters always make something nice out of it, with an original treat or something. By the way, this year will be a special Mother's Day. My parents will be celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, so we are all heading to Durbuy. I'm still planning a nice surprise, to thank my mum there in a unique way for everything she means to us. Something heart-warming that will always stay with her."
The mum as guide
"Over time, the “nurturing” role of mum gives way to other interpretations; you put different emphases. Now that my daughters are getting a bit older, for example, I get enormous pleasure from the fact that they spontaneously come to me with all kinds of questions, of a very diverse nature. Little worries they have, advice on something they want to do... they share a lot with their mum. Sometimes down to the wardrobe!’, laughs Nathalie. "And I'm happy to make time for it. I try to listen and give advice that -hopefully- will help them. That is why it is important that I can empathise with their environment. They know that I want to be that guide for them too, if they need it - just like my mum always was for me."
Values to cherish
As a mother, Nathalie finds it incredibly important to keep her finger on the pulse in terms of the values and norms she would like to impart to her children. She muses: "Having respect for, and showing gratitude towards people, are two important values that I inherited from home and that I always wanted to pass on to Chloé and Alysée as well. You often see them translated into little things: in a simple gesture, a hug or a compliment. It makes me happy and proud to see that they have adopted those loving values."
"My mum always set the bar high for me and my two sisters. As the eldest of the three, I was always hugely encouraged to lead by example, to go for the highest and to persevere when you want to achieve a goal. That combination of homely warmth, respectful values, perseverance and at the same time having fun is what I like to pass on to my children for the future," Nathalie adds.
Happiness is often in small things
What can Nathalie expect on Mother's Day this year? She laughs: ‘I really have no idea! They will probably come up with something crazy again, because they are extremely creative. In any case, last year it was incredibly fun. We have this kind of patio conservatory at home and they had invited six of my best friends there for a delicious lunch that they had arranged all by themselves. They made it warm and cosy, and everything was beautifully decorated. A lovely surprise it was. It's nice that they understand that the beauty, the happiness is often in little things. For example, they also recently gave me the logo of my brand ‘Le Parfum de Nathalie’ in sticker form, to affix to the trolley we use to deliver orders to homes - mega good thinking from them! Gifts don't have to be expensive. That I get to feel their love and warmth is so incredibly meaningful in itself...," Nathalie beams.
Nathalie's ultimate gift tip for Mother's Day
What Nathalie thinks is the ultimate gift, for Mother's Day? "Well, with “Le Parfum de Nathalie” I tried to put together a luxurious gift box: a delicious and beautifully packaged combination of fragrance and care products. Every mum's heart will beat faster when son or daughter soon comes home with this. But honestly... it doesn't always have to be a big gift. No better gift than some quality time together, putting the smartphone aside for a while and enjoying each other's company in complete awareness. Because that's what makes the real difference on Mother's Day: the attention you give to your dear mum."
