Yes, this was my mother and we were a total of five people in the home most of the time, with the exception of when grandma or grandpa were around though that was more seldom than often being that grandpa died when I was ten years old. My mother is and always will be worthy of my admiration and respect. It doesn't mean that my mother is perfect, nobody is. But she truly was the mom that sacrificed the last piece of "pie" for her children, technically the delicious Romanian pastries she is a pro at. My efforts to show gratitude for my mother come with also an appreciation for who I turned as a woman, in many ways mirroring many of my mother's good examples her life served me with and serves me with even today. Behind every human, there is a story about a mother. Not everyone gets to have a great mother and my mother isn't perfect either. My mother spent most of her life caring for others and, yet, sometimes her obligations took her away from home, from me and my brothers, not as a consequence of desire but out of need to work so we could have clothing, food, shelter, school supplies, and much more, so she could take care of her paralyzed father, to protect my irresponsible father, in addition to her obligations serving in the medical industry as a nurse and caregiver for many years. I am eternally grateful for having had an exceptional and rare role model when it comes to: endurance, perseverance, persistence, strength, and joy for life even during daunting times, especially during daunting times.
If you are a good mother I applaud you and say onto you "way to go" though there is always room for us to improve, as mothers, as daughters, as spouses, as lovers, as friends, as sisters or brothers, etc., or just simply stated as human beings. Nonetheless, if you truly are a good mother then you have a lot to be proud of and to celebrate. However, if you feel that you are not really that great of a mother this is your opportunity to change that. You have time, if you are still reading this message. It's never too late, until it's too late. At least, that is how I feel. Being a great mother is not much different than being a great student. It takes a lot of work, dedication, sacrifices, and passion for the duty. The difference, however, is that education is an attribute of life as a consequence of a love for learning which comes as a personal choice, whereas a child is a human being whose life will be either empowered or scarred for life by those who brought him or her into the world. Though, personally, I think many of us are scarred by our parents in one way or another. My gratitude and peace, however, rest on the fact that my mother is not a perfect mother but that she found millions of ways to be a great one to me and my beloved brothers. So, THANK YOU my dear mother.
With love,
Carmen A. Cisnadean