My Wonderful Mom
My Wonderful Mom and Dad
Today would have been my mother’s 99th birthday. Even though she died in 1996 I still think about her every single day.
My mother was a very special lady. I don’t know any woman that could ever measure up to her in my mind. I often refer to her as having been a “saint” because she birthed and raised ten boys! That alone puts her in a special place in heaven for me. Beyond raising children she was also a teacher of English and Home Economics, a grandmother and my dad’s best friend.. My mother was my best friend as well and greatest cheerleader. I could always count on mom to lift my spirits when I was feeling unsure about some decision or give me strength when I needed it to make a decision.
She was a “no nonsense” type of person and she had little time for indecisiveness. When a job needed to be done, you just do it. In her mind you don’t agonize over every little thing and you certainly don’t sweat the small stuff! When presented with a problem or a challenge my mom would figure out what to do. She did this in her own life and she encouraged me to do it in my life. My mother was so much better at it than I currently am though.
My mom was a brilliant woman. I have never known any other person that could play cards like her. We would play pinochle and she would remember what everyone else played and count up the points in a match as we played and tell us how many points each team had at the end of each hand. We would laboriously go through the counting process when the hand was over only to discover that she was always correct. She was amazing! She was also a wonderful cook and baker. She baked so many pies and bread that I cannot even fathom how many she did in her lifetime. She could fill the counters on any given day and by night time much would be consumed.
Mom made holidays all about “breaking bread” and breaking bread was all about eating the food she created with her loving hands. She always believed there was room for one more. Everyone was welcome at her table. If she knew you were coming home she’d try to make something that she knew you really liked. My father always said he made her into a good cook. Maybe some of that is true in a way. However, dad always told her when he didn’t like something, even though he was the best fed man around!
As my parents got older I can remember mom and dad making “monster cookies” together. I had thrown a huge pottery bowl that they always used for this occasion. The monster cookies were about the size of three cookies, huge really. They’d make a very large batch of these cookies. When mom died on Thanksgiving Day she left us with a batch of those cookies. Everyone was so emotional eating those cookies thinking about mom and grandma! She never put any of us out. She always took care of us. Even when she died she took care of us. She had baked goods made, a fully stocked pantry and as we came together as a family to celebrate her life, she fed us one last time!
My mom is truly the reason I went back to teaching. When my son, Josh, was in Kindergarten I took my pottery wheel up to his class and demonstrated and also let the students make something which I later fired. I had a blast with the children and it really got me thinking about how much I missed teaching. My certificate had lapsed so I would have to go back to school for a semester to get it updated. I couldn’t see how I could possibly do it being a single parent and having many responsibilities. Mom had an answer for every excuse I came up with. I remember telling her I had been out of class too long and maybe taking classes wouldn’t be easy. You know I could fail. My mom told me how smart I was and that I would do fine. Of course she was right and I got an “A” in every class. I didn’t see how I could afford to go. Mom said she’d loan me the money. I didn’t see how I could uproot my son from school two times in the year. My mom told me Josh will adapt. She was right on everything of course.
The hardest thing I had to do was move to Sturgis when I got my current teaching job. I wanted to go but I didn’t want to leave my parents. I lived just two miles from them. I loved being so close to them but I had to do what was best for my family. I spent many weekends running up north to see mom and dad. I don’t regret any of those long drives “home”. Mom was so happy for me. She always encouraged me in every endeavor. She was there for me helping me in everything I’ve ever done and even today as I make my current choices, she is always in my heart. Often times I think about what mom would do or say and how she would approach a problem. It gives me comfort. If someone says to me, “You look like your mom!” I feel special. Even though I know I look probably more like my dad as I have the “Miller” nose and my dad’s clear blue eyes! Sometimes I see mom when I look in the mirror and I hope that I have the true “heart” of my mom as she loved people.
My mom loved her family most and we all knew this. She could talk non stop about her children, what they were doing, how many kids they had. If you were willing to listen, she was always willing to talk. These were the most important things to her. Recently many of my nephews have been having children and creating their families. When I look at the pictures of their children, I often think about how much both my parents would be so happy seeing all these beautiful children. Mom and dad were all about family. These new extensions to our family would have been greatly loved by my parents. Mom would be so happy seeing all these new babies
My mom was a magnificent person, a special woman, with a pioneer spirit and a zest for life. In my dreams I would love to be like my mom as she is the most amazing person, other than my dad, that I have ever known. Through all kinds of ups and downs and hardships and trials her character always shone through. She was there for people. She was present in everything she did whether she was raising her family, teaching, being a part of the community or just having a conversation. My mom was someone you would remember. She lives on in all of her family. I miss her today like I miss her every day but today is that special day when I can celebrate her birth, September 3rd (1911). She was a grand lady with soft hands and a smile that could warm your heart. If you ever played cards with her she’d shake her leg and grin like a Cheshire cat when she knew she had my dad beat! That picture will always be in my mind..
