Thinking about Mom...

This is once again the time of year that we celebrate Mother’s Day, when children of all ages honor their mothers and show them how special she is to them. I will acknowledge this can also be a very painful time for women who have tried to conceive and have been unable to do so. There are many children who have been abandoned by their moms as well as others who have felt the pain and fear of abuse.  Still others have lost a child they so dearly wanted. My heart aches for all of these women and pray for their peace and healing as they struggle with this holiday each year.

Of course this week I have spent time thinking about my mom, Jennie and the important role she played in my life as a child and then as an adult. There were twelve children, in my family, with a mix of seven boys and five girls of which I was the youngest of the bunch. To the best of my memory, there were about nine kids living under the same roof at one time.  However there were always friends, neighbors, aunts and uncles and even grandchildren who were present too.  There was over 20-years difference between my older siblings and me so I grew up along side some of my nieces and nephews. My mom was very loving to all of her children and certainly tried her best to make us all feel special.  With the constant patter of feet in our home, what I remember most about my mom growing up was work, work and more work. She was constantly washing clothes, hanging them on the line, ironing everything, cooking three meals and two lunches every day, baking 10-12 loaves or more of bread each week, cleaning, gardening, and that did not include the seasonal canning, baking, butchering or tending to her flowers. With all of her children underfoot, there was little time for one-on-one attention that we needed and desired. There was nothing fancy about my mom but what we did receive from her was cleanliness, we were well fed, wore polished shoes and Easter bonnets with gloves, made up beds oh and by the way, the best lemon pie EVER. My mom taught her children how to be persistent, strong, resilient and most of all loving. The way she cared for us was not exciting but we knew that we were loved by this very special woman.
 
This past week, I asked my daughters what they remembered about me as children. Their answers differed a bit as with most children who see their parents through their own lens. My youngest daughter remembered that I made sure their birthdays; prom and graduations were special for them. She also shared a memory that had completely escaped me and now makes me smile. She said that by letting her picket one of my final decisions, with a stick and sign as she marched through the kitchen, gave her a voice for which she was grateful.  My oldest daughter said that she remembered me to be strong, supportive and rational. However she stepped from the long ago past to the present and described how I am still her mom but now we have become friends as well. While not all of our time together has been without conflict, I am so grateful to be considered their mom and their friend! Even though my mom celebrates each Mother’s Day in heaven, I believe she is very proud of her baby girl, me, and happy that I have raised two very strong, courageous and loving daughters. Happy Mother’ Day Mom!!