Mothering

My thoughts are turned today to my grandmothers and my mother and all the "mothering" I received from them which has shaped my life and who I am. My great-grandma Tess holds a special place in my heart because even in her very old age, she would welcome me into her home and she ALWAYS had cantalope on hand. She would cut it in half, scoop out the innards, and fill it with vanilla ice cream. She'd have one half and give me the other. It was a special treat that to this day, I always think of whenever I slice open a cantalope. It wasn't about the food though, it was that with great effort (and what to a younger person would be a simple task), she would do this for ME. She made me feel important and special. As we ate our treat, she would talk to me and listen.

I think of my Gma Jones who would wait at her living room window in great anticipation of our arrival, with a look of pure, childlike joy, when we pulled up into her driveway. She would break out into a huge open-mouthed grin, wave, and run to open the front door so she could greet each one of us with a kiss on the mouth and a tight squeeze. After we were all in the door, she would sit on the floor with us kids and talk to US, play with us, letting the grownups visit with each other. She would open up her refrigerator, which would be full of soda pop and let us choose. She would get out her fancy glasses and ice for us to pour our soda into. She would have candies and goodies. She always made our favorite food, knowing what each of our favorites were. I spent a week each summer with her (each child got their turn) and she treated me like an honored guest my entire visit. We sewed, we cooked, we went to the ocean where she rolled up her pant legs with me and ran with me into the waves, only to turn around and run AWAY from the waves as they threatened to mow us over, both of us squealing in delight. We picked cheeries from her tree each year as a family. Gma was there for me at momentous occasions and some tough times. She is my soul sister. At her passing, I inherited her wedding ring, which I cherish with all my heart.

My Gma Hunt was one of the most Christlike people I've ever known. Gpa was antagonistic towards our religion of choice, yet Gma made sure her children had the opportunities she had discovered. She was the most giving, loving human being, who gave service to anyone and everyone that she could. She did not have an easy life, yet pressed forward with faith, humor, and grace.

My mother: I can not sum up in words, what she has done for me and meant to me. I grew up with so much love from her that no matter what life threw at me, I had the knowledge that I was loved and I always had a safe place to go. I saw my Mom work hard. She found ways to help my Dad make ends meet. She took children into our home to babysit, which helped us financially and also allowed her to stay home with me and my siblings. She kept the home clean and orderly and always cooked us a hot meal. When Dad died, she was only 36 years old, with 4 children. That's when I realized how strong my mother is. While she surely grieved, she held our family together. She had to seek employment outside the home, which I'm sure broke her heart, yet even though she was absent in body more of the time, we still knew she was "there" for us. She sought help from other relatives and men to teach my brothers what they might miss from having a father in the home. She lived a steady, obedient life, never missing a beat in her religious convictions; never wavering in her faith that there is a God; one who loves us and carries us through the challenges we face in our lives. My Mom is a ROCK!

As I have now had my own children, and grandchildren, my heart has grown so big it can not contain all the love and joy I feel. Thanks to all the mothering I received and continue to receive, I can give a piece of my own heart to others.