“Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – Unknown
I think it’s fair to say that once you become a parent, you develop a much deeper appreciation of your own parents, and those who raised you. I recently wrote about my father’s influence on me in a previous Daddy’s Digest article, so I wanted to take the time now to acknowledge a mother’s impact.
There was a situation going on a few years back with our family and everyone was emotional about it, to the point of tears. However, I remember my mom being the only one who wasn’t crying. I pointed this out to her: that our whole family was crying and emotional, but she wasn’t. Her response: “Someone has to be the strong one.” And that’s exactly who she is. And where did she get it from? Her mother of course, my grandmother. I had a very close relationship with my grandmother, and she passed along all her amazing traits to her daughter, which in turn always made me very close to both of them.
A lot of people would often see everyone in my family take such good care of my grandmother and have so much respect and love for her that they would ask her, “How do you get everyone to take such good care of you all time?” Her answer was easy, “Because I took really good care of them.”
My mother and grandmother raised me and my sisters “old school” – tough when necessary, understanding when needed, and loving always. This in addition to always being a supportive and loving spouse to my father and grandfather.
Yes, strong dads most definitely help mold strong future dads. But I think it’s fair to say that being a good father has just as much to do with being raised by a strong mom.
Supermom
My mother is the type of person who never complains – about anything. Whether she is feeling under the weather, frustrated with one of her children, or just simply tired and exhausted you would never know the difference. My mother wouldn’t be the one who reaches out for help, she would always be the one who was helping everyone else. A family member (or herself) going in for some type of surgery or procedure? She is always the calmest one, even if it was her going in for the procedure!
For years she would be the bookkeeper for my father and uncle’s gas station and auto mechanic business, while raising three children simultaneously, driving everyone around where they needed to go, always having a home cooked meal on the table every night, keeping the house tidy, and still of course taking care of her mother. She leads by example. She never needs to ask for respect or look for attention, she’s earned it just by being her.
Covid Reunion
As we all know, the pandemic kept some families apart for extended periods of time. I did not see my parents in person for 529 days. So when the timing was right, I organized a surprise trip to see them. My mother had no idea I was coming through her front door, and if there was ever a moment to show the bond between a mother and son, this video certainly encapsulates that.