Saturday, May 07, 2011

Happy Mothers' Day!




I'm reposting this Mothers Day tribute from 2010.
There isn't anything I would change & there is nothing for me to add.


"The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness."
~ Honore' de Balzac


If you are blessed to be a mother, that will always be your highest calling.
Wishing all the Mommies a wonderful,
love-filled day!

I sure wish my Mom were still alive so I could take her a card and gift

and perhaps out to eat someplace special, too.

I deeply regret that I neglected to do that more often.

I don't think I ever got to tell her how much she truly meant to me.

She was a
Saint, honest!

She married my Dad, her high school sweetheart, in September of 1936



and remained happily married to him until she died, almost 60 years later.

And I do mean *HAPPILY*, too.

I never once heard them argue.

I never once heard them speak to each other in

anything but the most loving and respectful of tones.

There was always lots of laughter in our house.

My father kissed my mother good-bye every

morning when he left to go to work.

He also sought her out, wherever she was in the house,

so he could kiss her again when he returned home!




She raised 8 kids, on my Dad's steel worker's salary,
to be honest, hardworking, respectful law-biding citizens.

She made sure we
polished our shoes every Saturday and
went to Mass every Sunday and attended Sunday school afterwards as well.

We always sat down to a home-cooked meal together after church.
(she put it in the oven before we left)
We always said "Grace" before that meal, too.

She had 16 grandchildren, 22 great-grands &
I can't begin to count the great-great grandchildren!!

She never worked a single day outside the home
but she was the hardest working woman I have ever known.
The washing & the ironing and the cooking was never-ending.


She made the BEST
pies & cobblers!

(my sad attempt to duplicate her talents)

We had sour cherry trees on our property and every summer we all
helped to pick the cherries for her baking.
She and her mother, together, canned tomatoes and made grape walnut jam.
I have tried to continue that tradition.
Click here if you'd like to read about it.

She was always sharing little colloquialisms and quotes to teach us life's lessons.

Shortly after her death on Memorial Day in 1995,

(she passed away 7 years after a diagnosis of breast cancer )

my siblings were gathered around the table and

we started recalling all the little things Mom used to repeat to us, day after day.

If we heard them once, we heard them a million times!

We wrote them down that day after the funeral

and my sister typed them out for each of us to have a copy.



Life's Lessons from my Mom


1. IF YOU CAN’T SAY SOMETHING NICE, DON’T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL

2. IF YOU CAN’T DO IT RIGHT, DON’T DO ANYTHING AT ALL

3. TWO WRONGS DON’T MAKE A RIGHT

4. TELL THE TRUTH AND SHAME THE DEVIL

5. PEOPLE SAY A LOT OF THINGS BESIDES THEIR PRAYERS

6. THE RICH GET RICHER AND THE POOR GET KIDS

7. TWO HEADS ARE BETTER THAN ONE, EVEN IF ONE IS A CABBAGE HEAD

8. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

9. YOU CAN BE DEAD AND BURIED IN THREE DAYS

10. IF YOU DON’T WANT SOMEONE TO GET YOUR GOAT, DON’T LET THEM KNOW WHERE IT IS TIED

11. BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER, EVEN A MOTHER SKUNK THINKS HER BABY IS BEAUTIFUL

12. A WILLFUL WASTE IS A WILLFUL WANT

13. PRETTY IS AS PRETTY DOES

14. MONEY IS THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL

15. YOU CAN CATCH MORE FLIES WITH HONEY THAN VINEGAR

16. I DON’T KNOW IF I’M COMING OR GOING

17. I DON’T KNOW WHETHER TO WIND MY WATCH OR GO TO THE BATHROOM

18. OH LORD, YOU MADE THE DAY TOO LONG (my favorite!)

19. LORD, GIVE ME STRENGTH

20. YOU’LL WEAR OUT YOUR WELCOME

21. YOU’LL CUT OFF YOUR NOSE TO SPITE YOUR FACE

22. DON’T LET THE CAT OUT OF THE BAG

23. THERE’S NONE SO DUMB AS THEM THAT WANT TO BE

24. IF IT WAS A SNAKE IT WOULD HAVE BIT YOU

25. CHEER UP, THINGS COULD BE WORSE

26. BETTER DAYS ARE JUST AROUND THE CORNER

27. NOBODY RUNNING FOR THEIR LIFE WILL SEE THE DIFFERENCE

28. SIX OF ONE AND HALF A DOZEN OF THE OTHER





The scary part is that I find myself repeating her sayings
over & over again to my daughter & my 3 grandchildren.


I'm becoming my Mother...

which would be the most
wonderful transformation ever!!

Thanks for stopping by the Gazebo House today.
I wish you lots of hugs and kisses from your loved ones.

fondly,

34 comments:

  1. Happy Mother's Day, Rett! Beautiful tribute to your Mom and I love the quotes, 7-10-and 27 particularly. She sounds so very special.

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  2. I wish you a Happy Mother's Day, thanks for sharing your Mom with us. She was a wonderful women and you were very lucky. Take care.

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  3. Happy Mother's Day! Love the quotes, and some of them sound just like my mom.
    It's not a quote, but I always remember her telling me when I went to someone's house, to NOT open their refrigerator door! LOL I guess she thought that was rude for kids to do that so I taught my kids the same thing.
    She also taught me about "two-faced friends", but ummmm...guess I didn't listen to well to that one.
    Hugs!

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  4. This is such a nice post, Rett. It sounds like your mother was a wonderful person and mother.

    Wishing you a Happy Mother's Day!

    xoxo
    Jane

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  5. I know your Mother must have been a wonderful woman to have raised such a kind & expressive daughter. You reflect her teachings in every post.

    Mary

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  6. Happy Mothers Day Rhett. Many of your Mothers sayings were mine as well! Just reading them made me smile! Such a beautiful post...

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  7. What a wonderful tribute to your mother. I hope you have a blessed Mother's Day!

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  8. I loved this post Rett....I heard several of the same ones from my mother. My grandma used to say...when we did something foolish...If you are so stupid, do it again!
    and me....I always have said and still do...Truth is Truth!

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  9. Oh, I love this post Rett. What a wonderful tribute to your dear mother. She sounds like she was an amazing woman. Have a wonderful day!

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  10. Your Mother's Day post is wonderful, Rett. Isn't it a shock when we hear our mother's words come out of our mouths? I really smiled when I read some of the things your mom used to say. Corny, but we knew exactly what the meaning was.

    Happy Mother's Day to you.

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  11. Rett, what a loving tribute to your mom. I know she is looking down with a huge smile of pride. Loved reading the quotes. Thank you for sharing these thoughts.
    Happy Mother's Day to you! ~ Sarah

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  12. Your mother sounds amazing. What a wonderful childhood! I'm sure she is glad you are passing on her wisdom and traditions.

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  13. What a loving tribute to your mom. I know she would be so proud of you! I love that you wrote down her quotes. My dad is the quote guy. His name is James Dudley and we call them Dudleyisms! It is great now that your grandchildren and theirs will all have these! Happy Mother's Day to you!

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  14. Oh Rett, this was such a wonderful post of memories of your mother. How neat that you had a book made of all her sayings. Happy Mother's Day to you!
    Laura

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  15. Hi Rett!!!!
    Happy Mother's day to you!!!
    I hope your day was filled with all the ones you love surrounding you.
    Your Mother did sound like a saint!!!I loved your Mom's sayings, what a great list!!!Something to treasure, and how funny I say or my kids say, Mom you are sounding like your MOM!!!!
    Isn't life great, and my daughter's daughter will say to her one day, Mom you sound like MIMI!!!!
    It was a fun day here and a fun busy weekend!!!
    I hope to get the post up soon!!!
    hugs,
    jamie

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  16. Rett, I'm going to copy your list of proverbs. I recognize quite a few on there from my mother and grandmother!

    This was a lovely tribute. I miss my mother, too, and I'm soon going to be creeping up on the anniversary of her passing.

    XO,

    Sheila :-)

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  17. Sounds like you had a wonderful Mom and it's clear you miss her. Hope you had a good day yesterday.

    Thanks for stopping by to see my kitchen -- I am glad it's over. You're right! Jane F

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  18. Sounds like the things my grandmother used to say to me. Sounds like you have some wondesrful memories to hold on to. Thanks for sharing. Stella

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  19. This was wonderful. You may not have said everything you wanted to say, but I'm sure she knew. I did get to call my mom yesterday...even though she couldn't speak back, my dad said she smiled. Who knew that I'd be so grateful for just that?

    I hope you have a lovely day.

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  20. Hi Rett...your Mom sounds like a very special person...I know you miss her! Thanks for the well wishes for Chip. :-)

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  21. Hi, Rett,
    Thanks for stopping by, and thanks for missing me :)
    What a lovely tribute to your mom. I enjoyed the whole post, and I loved reading the list of her sayings. I had a great Mother's Day, and I hope you did, too.
    D

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  22. Loved your mother's day post and words to live by - they certainly were! xoxo Nancy

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  23. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to you sweet Rett!!!|
    Wishing you a day filled with love and laughter and surrounded by hose you love!!
    hugs 2 U,
    jamie

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  24. Beautiful flowers, beautiful words, beautiful tribute to your mother. Well done!

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  25. Such a beautiful tribute. I've heard my Mother saying those things MANY times, brings back fond memories. And yes, like you, I find myself repeating them to my children. We are so fortunate to have had those strong, loving women in our lives!

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  26. Happy Mother's Day, Rett. I love your post about your mother. She sounds like a truly amazing and inspirations person.

    The quotes are priceless. I have heard my own mother use many of them all her life. Lots of wisdom in those words.

    Have a wonderful, special day, my friend.

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  27. Such a great post! Happy Mother's Day Rett-have fun:@)

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  28. What a wonderful post! Happy Mother's Day Rett!

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  29. I love your post....I lost my mother just five weeks ago and this just spoke volumes to me. This was a beautiful tribute to her. :)

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  30. I remember this from last year and it still touches me this year...probably more so. I hope you had a wonderful day.

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  31. What an incredible tribute to your Mom.Hope that you had a wonderful Mother's Day. Thank you for being a part of Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  32. What a beautiful and sentimental tribute to your mom and to moms everywhere! Her wedding portrait is so precious and she looks so elegant in her gown.......like a bride should look. You and I had wonderful, loving, caring moms and we are so blessed!

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  33. Rett, what wonderful memories of your mom! I loved seeing your parents' wedding portrait~ what a gorgeous dress! I hope your Mother's Day was wonderful!

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  34. Your beautiful post just took my breath away. No words can express how touched I am. Thank you and Merci for this.
    Rita

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I read them all & each one is so very special to me & I try really hard to return the visit!

fondly,
~Rett~