WEYBURN - With Mother’s Day approaching, a class of Kindergarten students were asked to finish the sentence “My Mom is the best because ______________.”
Many of the children mentioned that their Moms fed them good food, let them eat candy and took them on trips. Hugs and kisses were also high on the list of reasons.
Reading the words of these precious little ones made me smile and at times even laugh out loud. It also caused me to reflect on my love for my own Mother.
This will be the fourth Mother’s Day without my Mom. I was blessed to have her in my life until she was 95.5 years of age. This fall, my family and I will gather at her birthplace, my grandfather’s homestead near Bengough, to celebrate her 100th birthday.
The relationship I had with my Mother wasn’t always easy. Admittedly, I wasn’t always the ideal daughter. However, the things she taught me, sometimes with tough love, have stuck with me and influenced my own journey as a Mom.
She taught me the importance of learning. Even though she was an educator, she was always taking classes and courses. This thirst for knowledge continued throughout her life. Earning her B.Ed. in her mid-sixties was a highlight for her, although it came at the end of her teaching career. At that point, she studied and became a real estate agent, a career she enjoyed well into her seventies.
She taught me compassion and inclusiveness. My Mom and Dad became foster parents, and pseudo-parents to many children and teens while I was growing up.
My Mom believed that everyone deserves to be loved, to be included and to be shown respect, regardless of race, religion, social status or intellect. Our door was always open (literally wide open) for anyone who needed a meal, a bed, or someone to listen.
She taught me independence. She emphasized the importance of not doing things for others – especially children and the elderly – that they could do for themselves. This was evident in her later years, when she would often refuse help and would struggle to do things just to maintain her independence.
She also taught me to have fun. We went on adventures that were often spontaneous and left us in various, sometimes humorous, predicaments.
As I celebrate Mother’s Day with my own children this year, I will honour my Mom by sharing memories of her with them.
I will tell them that My Mom is the best because she was a feisty, one of a kind, full of mischief, intelligent, compassionate woman. I miss her.
As you celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday, I hope you reflect on why your Mom is the best!
