And I Didn't Even Think She Noticed!

There are a lot of stories in the news recently about motherhood, the cost and the reward. A mother is on call 24/7, 365 days a year. My mother is a doctor, teacher, financier, chef, laundress, and on at least a couple of occasions a firefighter. Being the oldest of six, I had the opportunity although I did not appreciate it at the time, to witness, first hand, the miracles my mother could create on a daily basis.

My mother fed us three times per day. For six children plus her and dad, mom made approximately 24 meals per day or 8,760 meals per year. Not including snacks or the frequent ‘extra’ kid it’s a wonder she ever left the kitchen. But she did. She also did at least one or two loads of laundry per day. Personally, I don’t see the crime in living out of a laundry basket or pulling towels directly from the dryer, but my mother would have none of that. She painstakingly folded each load, carefully creating a stack of clothes for each child. She also made certain those clean clothes found their way into drawers or closets. That, in itself, is a minor miracle.

Mom also held a full-time job, working at the local hospital. She held church positions for as long as I can remember. She volunteers for community projects including acting as coordinator for the Southern Utah Folklife Festival, an event showcasing endangered skills such as candle making, canning, lace making, and hide tanning which is the process early settlers practiced to treat animal skins for use in clothing. This was a fun, informative event requiring mom’s complete attention for several months in advance.

My mother is a member of the Rotary Club, at one point serving as President of the local organization. She is a published author, co-writing The Insider’s Guide to Southern Utah and frequently contributing to the local newspaper and magazines as a freelance journalist. She has contributed to several successful political campaigns, and is a delegate for the Republican Party for our state. She served The American Cancer Society for several years and the Executive Director of the Volunteer Center of Washington County with more than 2000 volunteers. As we moved from the age of shorthand, typewriters, and land lines into the digital age, Mom now manages multiple blogs and online newsletters.

She and my father served a religious mission to the tiny country of Guyana and a humanitarian mission to Guatemala. Now that she is retired, she only works 40-50 hours per week. As busy as she is, she always has time to pick up, feed, and entertain any of the multiple grandchildren and great grandchildren who live in the area.

I’ve been awed by my mother. She sat through innumerable school plays, band recitals, sporting events, dentist, orthodontist, and dermatology appointments. She stayed up nights when one (or all) of us had fevers. Yet I remember no complaints. She managed to raise all six of us and never once had to call for the SWAT team.

If I’ve learned anything from my mom, it has been that personal sacrifice is necessary to make the world a better place. As I look back on her achievements, the common theme is ‘service before self’. My mother has made a career of putting the needs of others before her own. Not just her children, but the world around her. The community and state is better for her efforts. I am a better person because of her guidance and influence.

Thank you, Mom. I love you.

KELLY