A Mother is your first friend ...

Date: 5/9/2024
Tags: Family
While this coming Sunday, May 12 will be a day of celebrating our mothers, many of us do not need a designated day to remember the impact our mothers had on our lives. It has been 15 years since we said goodbye to my mom, and not a day goes by that I am not reminded of an event that puts a smile on my face or leaves a tear in my eye. While my sisters constantly kid me that I was mom’s favorite, I can honestly say that she was as strict a disciplinarian with me as she was with my sisters. If I ever tried to deceive her, she would quickly recognize it, before the words came out of my mouth, and there would be a punishment for my actions. She demanded sincerity and honesty from all of us, and she was a daily role model for those virtues. In my high school graduation yearbook she wrote a beautiful message reminding me to always be “sincere and honest” throughout my life. That phrase has come into my mind many times throughout my life, and I work diligently to live up to her expectations.

My mother was a great housekeeper, the best cook and baker, a wonderful mother in law, a loving grandmother to my sons and my niece and nephews, and a perfect role model of a wife and her love for my father. While she was all of these things, her greatest attribute was her ability to practice unconditional love every day of her life. She guarded and defended her love ones, and regardless of one’s behavior, she was always there for each of us up until the day she left us.  

I really don’t need a special day to appreciate the love that she demonstrated each day of her life; I know that I am who I am because of her and the love and support she always had for all of us. To those of you who still have your mothers in your lives, cherish your time with her, find time to be with her, and let her always know how important she is in your life. To those of you like me, who only have memories of our moms, I wish you a day where you can reflect on all the wonderful things your mom brought to your life, and I hope those memories put a smile on your face and a tear in your eyes. Happy Mother’s Day!