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National | Florist

Māori florist family share the love on Mother's Day.

On such an important retail day for florists across the country, Te Ao spent today with a Māori family who have been in the business of flower arranging for three generations.

This family of Amber Lee Florist have hardly slept a wink all week arranging flowers to share the love.

"If you believe in something and you do it from your heart; If you don't do it from your heart, don't do it.  Yeah, that's what I think, that's my motto," Rawinia Regina Matthews-Crump says.

"And always be grateful and have gratitude and spread the love."

Shara-Mei Wikitoria Crump-Jackson is excited to be making mothers happy.

"Well, we didn't sleep last night, we've been up all night making flowers for everyone, for all the beautiful mummies around.  It's been so full-on, we've been hit hard this year, they've been coming through thick and fast,"

Mother's Day brings relief for businesses struggling with the current circumstances in the world.

"Well, we have mum, myself and all my children out delivering today, my husband, cousins, aunties.  Luckily we're all in the same bubbles so we've been able to make that work because there's been a shortage on courier drivers, so we've had to do most of them ourselves," Shara-Mei says.

"We've been quite organised this year, without having the shop open we've been able to be more organised."

Rawinia got into flower arranging in the 1970s and remains the senior partner of Amber Lee Florists, which has received high recognition over a number of years for achievement in business.  And today three generations of the family continue the passion for flower arranging.

"My mum and dad always encouraged me and believed in everything with my career because they knew it was my passion, they would encourage me to keep going.  Now I'm actually trying to retire but it's not quite working," Rawinia says.

"What do you give your mum for Mother's Day? To be honest my package hasn't arrived on the courier so mum hasn't received hers yet but she'll probably get it tomorrow. We're very, very grateful and lucky to be here, to still be here," Shara-Mei says.

No matter where you are today, we send our love to all mums.