Its impossible for most of us to imagine how the refugees escaping Syria and other conflicts must feel on a day to day basis. What is well known is that the Jungle camp in Calais contains several thousand unaccompanied minors whose belongings are being bulldozed along with those of other people. Another widely held piece of information is that at one time Gatwick was a destination for refugees sending their children to safety from other nations that were facing conflict. Indeed more than a decade ago an acquaintance of mine founded a charity that was established in part to care for these children who had been separated from their Mothers and their Fathers. Tragically David Cottrell died last April at a very young age and so this year is the first Mothers Day since he died, although the charity remains active, just as the flow of children who have no Mother in close proximity continues to impact on Europe as well as all of the nations through which these children continue to pass. I am grateful that I can ring my Mother and speak to her without any threat to either of us. I have the confidence that the flowers we ordered for her arrived safely. Its not the same as being able to call in to see her, but we are separated by 270 miles of the British Countryside, a separation we have both had a choice over. I have no idea what David would say if he were still alive, but throughout today 1000’s of people will be debating the EU and migration and in some cases the debate will be nuanced enough to contrast those who are refugees from those whose migration is provoked by other causes. Let us hope that the impact of people like David and his charity Asphaleia will continue to remind us that for some of the people being discussed, they have long since lost contact with their biological Mothers for reasons that neither of them have any control over. As most of us celebrate Mothers day in comfort, perhaps we could remember those Mothers and children who have no such comfort thanks to war and conflict that they had no choice over.