Friday, May 8, 2009

In honor of my mother, a tribute for Mother's Day

My mom taught me many things while growing up. At her knee I learned to sew. It’s not a skill people pay me for like they do her, but it has served me well. I’ve been able to make curtains and drapes, recover furniture and make Halloween costumes. I still haven’t mastered her hand-sewing talent of smocking, but I’m sure if I wanted to, she would teach me.

She taught me how to bake and even let me eat raw cookie dough and lick cake batter straight from the beaters. When I wanted to learn to decorate cakes, she stood by my side and encouraged me as I mastered new techniques.

I don’t remember her ever telling me that something was too hard or too messy or too much trouble for me to learn. Whatever I wanted—within reason—she made available to me. And it wasn’t the material things that come easier for me with my kids. She wasn’t able to buy me everything I wanted, but she provided everything I needed. And that was plenty.

Several pearls of wisdom she also imparted:
Don’t open someone else’s mail.
Just because someone asks you a question, doesn’t mean you have to answer it.
It’s not good to be boy-crazy.
Even though you can’t see the back of your hair, other people can.
It’s much better to give than to receive.
Knock before opening a closed door.
A good deed feels even better if you keep it to yourself.
Something broken can almost always be fixed.
If you can find a way to make it or do it yourself and spend less money, then do.
Never put in writing what you don’t want everyone to read.
You’re always prettier when you smile.
Never correct an adult in front of other people.
Less is better—in terms of makeup, accessories, etc.
It’s better to miss curfew than to drive recklessly to get home.
You’ll never know how much you are loved until you have kids of your own.

And now that I am a mother of three, I know what she means. The other day my daughter, who is nearly six, asked me what Grandma’s name is. I told her it is Marianne.

“Marianne?” she asked. “That’s such a pretty name! I think I’ll name my daughter that.”
I hope one day she does.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy Mother's Day Mom! Love, Amy

Joan Mora said...

Great post, Pamela. Your mother is very wise! I wasn't allowed to come near the raw cake batter. Are you surprised to hear that?

Jill Palumbo said...

Nice article about your mom. I agree, she's the best! Happy Mothers Day to you too.

Anonymous said...

Thank you, Pamela. I had a great teacher and example. I remember telling my mother, I wanted to grow up and be just like her.(At that time, I wanted to become a nurse.) As I became a mother, I told mother I hoped I could be the kind of mother to my children, as she was to me. She was the best! In my heart, I knew I wanted to be a mother more than anything else. You helped make it very rewarding.I love you "all the way to the moon, and back." HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.

Anonymous said...

Happy Mother's Day!

My three sisters can sew, and I can't. I blame myself, not my mother. Wish I could, too. I remember my mom trying to teach me; just didn't have the patience.

Elizabeth

Wila said...

Thank you for the beautiful tribute to your Mom. My mother taught me many of those same lessons, except the sewing part but Lord did she try! On the screen in church this morning Mother's Day quotes were being rolled and one said "The greatest role a woman can have is that of mother." Which I find so true but being a daughter ran a close second. So I send a Happy Mother's Day to my mom as well. She doesn't need a computer to read this blog.

Marsena Washburn said...

Thank you for your lovely post about your Mother. I got a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes as I read it. I just had read that she just passed away.

Pamela Hammonds said...

Thank you, Marsena. She will be greatly missed.

Anonymous said...

Just read your post Pamela, loved your Mom so much! She was so wise and had a great sense of humor! She was a blessing to her children and to her many friends!