Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of us! We deserve it!

Roxie had a great idea - especially for those of us who have lost thier mothers - write down a special memory of your mom to share with others. I think those memories so tend to fade with time, so save them for your children and grandchildren.

The thing about my mother is that she had so many friends - it still amazes me. First there were the "Snotty Nine" - these were 9 buddies that she kept in contact with since grade school - they did a Round Robin letter to each other for over 60 years. I completed her last entry just after she passed away and have remained in special contact with one of the nine. They all lived in different parts of the country - but you would have thought they had coffee over the back fence every day.

Then there are the friends that she made when she moved to Portland as a young bride. Mostly these were families that my father had grown up with. They welcomed mom like she had always been there. They are a huge tight knit group, aging fast and we are losing them often.

There were the friends from work - she was a nurse and volunteered in a clinic run by the hospital interns. Our holiday dinner table always had an orphan or two and her weekly batch of cookies were always a hit with them. She adopted the whole bunch.

She always listened and never had a bad word to say about anyone - and I'm sure she knew all the dirt as everyone confided in her. She was polite to a fault and always insisted that her children and grandchildren be the same - this has been an extremely valuable attribute for my kids especially - even in this day and age they always get compliments about how polite they are. It has served them very well and I know it's my mom's influence. She never criticized - which occassionaly was a problem. Like all new moms, I really was counting on her help when I started my family - but I had to always ask - "what do I do about....how do I...." She wouldn't offer advice unless you asked - she thought it was intrusive!

She always did the right thing and put up with a family that I don't think she was prepared for. She was a great sport - trailing after us on backpacking trips, camping in the Canadian wilderness with my dad on flyfishing trips and one last camping trip with all of us in Yellowstone. One year she walked the entire Rouge River Trail - while the rest of us floated the river! Five days! My mother was not athletic! She was a Southern California beach girl - thrust into a family of outdoor enthusiasts!

And now that she isn't here - we know she is 'intruding' all the time. We laugh when we say "mom would have" or "Grannie Annie would". I think about her everyday - especially when I'm doing something I know she wouldn't approve of - does she know? - I hope not! She is a constant positive influence on us all. We were fortunate to be part of her life. We miss her. Happy Mother's Day Mom - we love you.