My mum, my kids and all those meetings in school

Rule: If your mum attend the meetings in school - she is bound to embarass you
Exception: If you look back from a mature age...

I phoned my mum today to celebrate that the phone line is operating again (the bliss of countryside life – rejoice when the lines are ok). I told her how my diary was stuffed with parent-teacher meetings, school gatherings, PTA, and so on. She encouraged me to attend all meetings as she said that it was important to take an interest.
And it is true, I remember all these meeitngs when I was a child, and only one out of four. My mum went to all meetings. She dressed up, sometimes even went to the hairdresser before. And she asked questions as well as volunteered, for example – she did once chaperone a dance at school, although I had rather had it that she hadn't if you understand what I am saying.
And now I do the same. I didn't even think about that connection before, maybe because for many other things my mother was so absent from my life. But it is true, when it came to school, she was always there. Embarrasing me, of course, but it would have been worse to have to go on your own (as some kids had to).
She set an example and I follow in her footsteps. Now I am volunteering, making my kids embarassed by talking. But at the same time they want me to be active because they know that they need the parents to help them with school trips and such things. I go to all meetings for all four children so my diary i quite full. I learn to understand three different schools, I meet four different head teachers or mentors and I am at least trying to get to know the classmates in four classes (about 100 people...and their parents...). And still, many parents do not show up. Some miss the meetings once, others I have never seen.
But I am there. You can thank my mum for that!