It was my mother’s birthday.  It was a cold, bleak winter’s day.   I had put on a nice warm woolen skirt that my friend had given me which belonged to her mother.  It was a bit big on the waist but was okay.  I wore it to work.  After school I rushed to buy some flowers  to take to the cemetery before it closed.  

When I arrived I was the only person there, and I quickly arranged the flowers on my parents’ grave.  I stood back to admire the flowers and my thoughts turned toward my precious mother. It was starting to get dark, I felt sad as I walked back to my car. I remembered happier times on my mother’s birthday.  

Suddenly I felt very cold, I thought to myself  the temperature had plummeted.  Then I looked down and saw that actually it was my skirt that had fallen down and I was standing in the cemetery in just my stockings with my skirt on the ground.   

I started to laugh and laugh and laugh. Then I suddenly realised if anyone saw me in my stockings  laughing so loud in the cemetery they would think I was having an ‘episode’ so I quickly put my skirt on and walked slowly to my car.  

Then I noticed the security cameras.   I raised my handbag to my face to save myself some embarrassment  and walked faster to the car.   I smiled to myself as I drove home as I remembered what my mother  had said to me when I was young ….”Always wear a petticoat.”