Mother's Day 2013

Katja with J’s flowers (5-11-13)

Dear George,

The delivery man just brought a beautiful Mother’s Day bouquet for Katja that J sent, and it made her beam with delight.  J has always been thoughtful about these things.  I wish I’d done more of that when I had the chance.  My mom died on April 24, 1986, at Marinette General Hospital.  We had some advance notice, and my siblings and I came in from around the country.  Peter and I were in her hospital room when she said her last words: “I’m grateful.”  That’s how mothers are.  My mom was by no means perfect, and I was difficult as a son.  A loss of one’s mother, though, is a powerful experience that takes a long time to recover from.  There’s such a primal connection between mother and child, and, I suspect for most people, there’s no one in one’s life who has such a deep attachment and lifelong sense of caring and concern.  There are many things I wish I’d expressed to my mother and many questions that I wish I’d asked.  However, we make do with what we do and try to learn from it.  Here are some of the wise, interesting, and/or humorous things that people have had to say about mothers:    

• "Every beetle is a gazelle in the eyes of its mother."  (Moorish proverb)
• "It's not easy being a mother.  If it were easy, fathers would do it."  (From the TV show, The Golden Girls)
• "Mirror, mirror on the wall, I am my mother after all."  (Author Unknown)
• "Mothers are all slightly insane."  (J.D. Salinger)
• "Whenever I'm with my mother, I feel as though I have so spend the whole time avoiding land mines."  (Amy Tan)
• "My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it."  (Mark Twain)
• "Sweater, n.  Garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly."  (Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary)
• "She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along."  (Margaret Culkin Banning)
• "If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy."  (Ferrell Sims)
• "Don't ever tell the mother of a newborn that her baby's smile is just gas."  (Jill Woodhull)
• "The precursor of the mirror is the mother's face."  (D.W. Winnicott)
• "I felt my mother about the place.  I don't think she haunts me, but I wouldn't put it past her."  (Julie Walters)
• "I hope my tongue in prune juice smothers, If I belittle dogs and mothers."  (Ogden Nash)

Our family, of course, has many wonderful mothers, and that goes on across the generations.  Here are some of the mothers we know and love.  Happy Mother’s Day to all!

Love,

Dave

My mom Doris with my sister Vicki (ca. 1949)

Katja with J at Mt. Airy Forest (ca. 1972)

My sister-in-law Margie with Jennifer and J (ca. 1973)

My sister-in-law Faith with Chris (ca. 1978)

My sister Vicki with Jacob (ca. 1973) 

My daughter-in-law K with our grandson L (2012) 

G-mail Comments

-Phyllis S-S (5-12):  Dave,  Enjoyed this a lot.  Have a fun trip to New Orleans - I think you leave before the next Linton and we go to Canada that same day.  All the best,  Phyllis

-Gayle C-L (5-11):  Awesome photos.  Pl give Katya my love and wish her a happy Mother's Day from me!  Take care.    G.  

-Donna D (5-11):  This is really wonderful David :)