My Mom

By Connie Hertz

I am so very grateful for and to my mom, Mary Shank. First of all, I feel very blessed to have her here on earth, and doing well for an 83 year old.

My parents and rest of my family of origin, all live in the Toledo, Ohio area. I have not lived in the same town since December of 1981, when I married and moved to Muncie, Indiana, only a 3 hour drive away. In August of 1992, we moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, a good 11 hour drive away or about a 75 minute flight.

My mom was the mother that chose to stay at home with all 5 kids. She was always there for us. She always looked very pretty and youthful I remember as a child. I loved when door to door salesmen would ask her to get the woman of the house. She looked like one of the kids!

My mom has always valued service work and giving back to others. She and my dad today are very involved in their church, with mom still singing in the choir. I watched and still see the great things my parents continue to do for others, being great role models for us 5 kids, our large extended families, and others in their community.

My mom would pack 6 lunches everyday, all 5 of us and my dads. She kept our home running, and at a drop of a hat, she would sew a button on or mend something we wanted to wear that day.

As I look at it now, she kind of spoiled us! Mom made each of our birthdays special too. We didn’t have to do any chores on our birthday, and we got to pick out our birthday meal and whatever dessert we wanted.
Because of this, I have also treated my kids birthdays and others as something special.

Mom loves to read to this day, and she reads extremely fast, finishing a 300 plus page book after dinner before bed! I do not have this ability to read fast, only through mom’s love of reading, books have always a part of our lives, which I passed on to my two children. The magic of imagination and visualizing what is in a story, is something I definitely received.

Mom, your smile, your love, your being there for me, is something I cherish. You didn’t get to have this with your mom, as I always felt sad for you that you lost your mom at just about 21 years old. So thank you from the bottom of my heart for being my mom!

I love you more than words can express!

Action step for you this week, if you still have your mom here on earth, I hope you reach out to her, not just on Mother’s Day, but often. If she is not here, take the time to maybe light a candle or do something to honor her.

With many blessings,
Connie
www.conniehertz.com