My Mother, Our Dependable Matriarch

When I read, "What My Grandmother Means To Me", I couldn't help but think of my own aged mother. The author described the effect his grandmother had on his life and the lives of his families. My mother has made a difference in my own life and the lives of my brothers and sister. She has always been there for me and she is still there at ninety-one years old. My mother has a positive effect on everyone she comes in contact with during living her life.

My mother was born into a family in Minnesota that didn't have many material goods. They were a happy family and it didn't seem to matter that they were poor. She survived the Great Depression with her family and later attended college and became a registered nurse. After she married my father, they moved to Illinois and had four children: two girls and two boys.

My mother was employed at a hospital on the night nursing shift so she could be home with us during the day. She loved to shop and we always fought over who was going to go with her, as she always treated us to lunch at Woolworth's after we shopped. When I was ten, she injured her back in an auto accident and couldn't perform nursing duties any more. Because her nursing credits from Minnesota were not accepted in Illinois, she attended college through television courses and then on campus, and received her Bachelor of Science in Education. School age children have always been her favorites, so she taught kindergarten for fifteen years. During all those years, she never lost track of us growing up and attended all our school functions.

After my father passed away, my mother found her big house was too much to take care of by herself. My brother invited her to move into his house with him. Reluctantly, my mother gave up her home and moved to California where she lives with my brother.

My mother has experienced many health problems and disappointments over the years. Nothing breaks her spirit of determination or her positive attitude. She believes things always work out one way or another and reminds us of this every day. When my youngest brother passed away suddenly, her heart was broken, but she managed to pick up the pieces and go on living her life. If I am discouraged, she talks with me until I feel better. If someone is having a difficult time, she prays for him or her. She is kind to all the friends she has met in her church and they enjoy her company. If I tell her something that happened to me, she never judges my actions and usually helps me resolve the problem with a great sense of humor. My mother can laugh at herself as well as the oddities of life.

Since she has aged and her health has deteriorated, my mother cannot leave the house on her own. Someone has to take her places she wants or needs to go. She uses a walker around the house and a wheelchair when she goes out. Many people would be extremely discouraged and unhappy with this situation, but my mother sees it as just another stage in her life. She is alone most of the day as my brother owns his own business, but he is always there to prepare their evening meal and I know she is grateful for his company. I'm sure she gets lonely, but she doesn't complain. She stays in touch with children, grandchildren, and friends by telephone. She guides our family to love and treasure each other and to be kind. My mother informs each of us about the happenings in each other's lives. She talks to everyone so she knows what is going on.

I strive to be like my mother in all my relationships with my children, grandchildren, and friends. She has inspired me to seek the highest level of caring in my interactions with others. I try to emulate her positive attitude, and her reaching out and kindness to others. I hope she is always here for me to talk to and laugh with, but I know that is not possible, so I try to appreciate each moment I spend with her now. She has taught me a lot about life through her wisdom and patience.