Sunday, May 13, 2012

Forever Mother. National Photo Month, Day 13

Mom and me in 1954. Mom made both of our dresses in this photo. She was an accomplished seamstress.

When I became pregnant with my daughter--my first--I was 29. I had a career. I had hobbies and interests--I was occupied with hiking, biking, fishing, gardening, photography, sewing, crafting and frequenting auctions, estate sales and garage sales. 

I recall telling my mom that I hoped things wouldn't change too much after children. To this day, I remember her words:  "Once a mother, always a mother. You can never go back." 

So true. Our three children are grown--scattered around the country. They're all doing their own thing, as I did at their age. None is married. All are in relationships.

I love my children. I'm proud of them. I will stand by them always. Mom was right. No matter that they're adults now. I can never go back. I will always be their mother.

I lost my mom in 2006. Sometime after I started blogging, I began to connect the dots. It became clear to me that who I am at my core and who I have developed into was no accident. Sure, the genetics could be considered a happy accident. But the nurture part was BIG.

On this Mother's Day, I am sharing something I wrote about my mother after she passed on. If you follow my blog, you, too, might recognize some of her influences on me.

Our Mom

She was an only child, a farmer’s daughter
She was born in Minden, Neb., home of Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village
On the farm, she milked cows, dressed chickens and slopped hogs
And, she churned butter, baked bread and washed laundry by hand
When we were girls, Mom was our Girl Scout and 4-H leader
She always loved nature, respected the environment and taught us to do the same
She liked to tent camp when we were kids
She loved the mountains of Colorado, but was afraid of heights
By choice, she became a working mom long before it was fashionable
Still, she made time to sew stunning Barbie clothes and prom dresses (and many other great things)
She taught us to cook and bake (that didn't stick for me)
She always enjoyed traveling, especially with her children and grandchildren
As an empty nester, she took up tole painting and became quite an artist
She lost her dad early in her adulthood and took loving care of her mom until her mom died
She let her creativity shine through in her daily life
She passionately watched birds and had a special fondness for cardinals and hummingbirds
She didn’t like snakes!
She taught us to believe in ourselves and to make our own decisions
She tackled every challenge head on
Throughout her life, she remained a voice of reason
For as long as she could, she gave back to the community as a volunteer
She deeply loved our dad, her two girls, our husbands and all of her grandchildren
But, she never meddled in our lives
She was unique and special and she was ours

Footnote:  My one sibling, my dear sister, is as much a reflection of our mother as I am. We are a couple of lucky women, indeed, to have such a wonderful role model and mother.

Make it a great Mother's Day!

6 comments:

  1. You won the candle! Congrats. Please email me with your snail mail address and I will get it in the mail to you this week.

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    1. Wow! I can't believe it. Thank you so much.

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  2. What a wonderful description of your Mom. My own Mom and Grandmothers are all gone now too and they were also from the Prairie Midwest. I visited Pioneer Village many years ago as a kid. I am sure I would enjoy it now even more. Your Mom sounds much like the women I grew up with, all hard working farm women! Happy Mother's Day!

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  3. Beautiful Post, Happy Mother's Day

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  4. This is a wonderful post and don't you just love using old photos like this?!

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  5. Thank you for linky up at Sunday Blog Love. Such a wonderful post, your mother sounds like a wonderful person that is missed tremendously by her family! Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

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