Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Thanks, Mom!

Thank you, Mom for being there for us with hugs and interest in our day every day after school. For making sure we ate as well as you knew how to feed us all those years ago, but also for those special nights when we got Swanson's chicken TV dinners or Kraft macaroni and cheese. It was almost like taking a vacation from regular dinner with our little tray tables in front of the TV. For trips up north with you and dad to get MacIntosh apples and cider every fall and letting us sip some of the cider even when it got hard out in the garage.

Thanks for introducing us to bird watching which I still love today, letting us have cats and dogs in our lives and other species like rats, fish, turtles, frogs, pollywogs, and more. For walking with me out in the woods to find Jack-in-the-Pulpits and turning over rocks to find salamanders. For putting up with jars full of grashoppers and a snake or two. For teaching me how to make fudge and for not making me feel horrible when I almost completely burned up the kitchen. You did get some new appliances out of it. : )

Thank you for paying for college for me and being there when my kids were born. For being a loving role model for us girls. I never realized how much you gave until I got older and I wish I could have told you I knew. I wear your diamonds on my finger 24/7 and they remind me of you. I think you'd like that. They are too beautiful to be in a box stored away.

I love you and miss you everyday. I wish you had been around a little longer to see how things went for us. I wonder if I'll get breast cancer, too. I'm working on avoiding it, Mom. I'm doing OK. You probably know that. Thanks for everything, Mom.

Happy Mother's Day! XXXOOXXX

Your first born.

18 comments:

  1. Beautiful tribute to your Mom...who I am sure knows all that you do.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh that is lovely! She DOES know, I am positive! And please, continue doing everything you can to avoid this horrible disease! Stay well!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ok Anne your killing me here!! Tears running down my face!!! What a wonderful tribute to Mom hon - she was all those wonderful things and more!! It startled me to read this - but it is wonderful hon - I could not have said it better and will not try.
    Yes to jars full of bugs and pollywogs, making fudge and Swanson dinners and potpies! For our love of birds and flowers and being there everyday to listen and the cookies - loooved the cookies!
    Anne I don't have any question she sees us and watches over us. She is as proud of you as I am hon!!! And that is pretty proud! She would adore you wearing her jewels! She would! And the kitchen - yup remember that one - LOL - she got a whole new kitchen and looooved it! Thank you for this hon - it meant the world to me too!
    Love, your sis Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  4. Anne, I've come to read your blog as I follow Sarah's who I found just recently. This was a glowing tribute to a woman who made certain you had the skills and tools to successfully navigate life. I'm sure she's proud of you and I know Sarah certainly is; I hope you're proud of you, too! This was a lovely read today. Happy Mother's Day to you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anne, Like Holly, I come to you through Sarah's blog which I just found two days ago. How serendipitous that I did, for it led me to this beautiful post. And brought forth many memories of my own. Mothers are amazing beings, for some of us now shining down their love and care from above. Thank you for this beautiful tribute to your wonderful Mom.
    xo, Diantha

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anne, Beautiful tribute to your Mom. I remember Swanson's TV dinners and my Daddy bringing them home the very first time. Out came the TV tray! I'm sure she knows how you are and is looking out for you and your sisters. Thanks for the memories!

    ReplyDelete
  7. That is lovely, my mother also died from breast cancer. I was only eighteen and I am now older then my Mom was when you passed. I have a yearly mammogram! Your sister Sarah is a sweetheart! Blessings to both of you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. That was beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This was so beautiful and heartfelt Anne!

    ReplyDelete
  10. A wonderful reminder that I say my "Thank Yous" now and have no regrets later! (My mom is dying from ALS.)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you for all the kind comments my friends. Not until now have I been able to recognize my mother who I loved so much in such a public way. Blogs are wonderful things. Sarah, I was also seeing through tears as I wrote this and I know you have many of the same and many unique and precious memories of our Mom. They are good to savor once in awhile. So glad you all visited.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I can barely type from the tears. How beautiful! I can feel your mom smiling.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anne this is so beautiful said.

    Your Mom would be very proud.

    Love Renee xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Mom, wow....that hit me kinda hard and somewhat unexpectedly. Grandma was indeed such a wonderful woman and we loved her very much. I think of her often, and remember all of the summers I spent with her here in AZ and of all of the fond memories I had of her. The thing I love about her most is that she made you. So Mom, here is my tribute to you....

    Thank you for letting me be a little girl while I was able to and letting me be your little girl still, when I need to, even today. The older I get and the more people I talk to, the more I realize that I had something a lot of children did not, a Mothers warm and loving arms and tender loving care. I used to think all children had Moms like you and Grandma, Moms that read them their favorite books like "Where the Wild Things Are", "Good Night Moon", Dr. Seuss’s books and so on. Moms that used to spend hours on the couch braiding and brushing their daughters hair so they’d have poufy cornrows in the morning. Moms that taught them how to be little Ms. Betty Crocker as well as little Ms. G.I. Jane. But the older I get, I realize I am the lucky one.

    So thank you for all of the love, understanding and patience you have shown me throughout the years. Thank you for the warm hugs and your warm heart. Thank you for standing beside me even when I make dumb decisions. Thank you for being the only there for me when no one else was.

    Mom, you are an amazing woman. Don’t ever doubt that. I tell people all time how wonderful you are and when they meet you, they feel the same. You are so smart, beautiful, loving, kind and patient...you are my best friend, my advisor and my confidant. Most of all Mom, you are my Hero and I love you with all of my heart.

    Happy Mother’s Day Mom :-)

    Love,

    YOUR first born.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Waaah. Thank you from a stranger for this beautiful tribute to your mother. It was lovely. Barbara in Montana--just found your sis in Idaho.

    xo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Oh Tamara.. hon that was so wonderful!! Am crying again - you two are killing me here!
    Come visit me Tamara.. Aunt Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  17. Dear Anne,

    As the second born in our little tribe, I loved what you said about our lives back then and about Mom. And now that my firstborn is about to have her own firstborn, I am wishing that Mom could be here to share that with us. Somehow I think she's watching. And she knows...
    xoxoxo Barbara

    ReplyDelete
  18. Wow, now I am blown away. Tears flowing. Sniff, sniff. I am one very lucky and happy mom, daughter and sister.

    ReplyDelete