Today we celebrate Mother’s Day and the unique role mothers play in our lives. It is a role that influences every human being and a role only a woman can fill. Enjoy these memorials to some special moms.
Alex Sink writes:
In 1956, at the age of 8, I sat by my mother, Adelaide Bunker Sink, as she watched the first televised Democratic National convention (Adlai Stevenson was the nominee!). From that time on, I was interested in politics. My mother went on to serve as chair of the Democratic women in our rural county and be the first woman appointed to the state’s insurance commission. When she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer, I saw her cry only twice… she would miss knowing her grandchildren and she wanted to run for election as the first female county commissioner (and she would have won!).
Unfortunately, at the age of 19 (and my sister was 16) she left us in body, but not in spirit. So, on every Mother’s Day for the past 52 years, I have remembered and honored the spirit of a woman who gave her daughters her gifts of music, politics, character, and integrity as well as love of family. She lives today….
Penny Parks writes about her mom:
Peggy Humphrey – In her immortal southern voice and her words:
Her philosophy on life:
- The world is my psychologist!
- Life isn’t fair. Because if life were fair I would look like Elizabeth Taylor and Elizabeth Taylor would look like me!
- Don’t ever apologize – your friends don’t expect it of you and your enemies don’t believe you!
- Revenge promises so much and pays so little.
- What’s the definition of eternity? Two people and a ham!
- What’s the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over & over again and expecting a different outcome.
- Two wrongs don’t make a right.
Her thoughts on love and marriage:
- Marry someone fun!
- I married your father for better or worse but not for lunch!
- Divorce never – murder yes!
Her thoughts on child-rearing:
- I don’t want school to get in the way of your education!
- You just wait until your father gets home!
- Just remember – I want to be a mother-in-law first before I’m a grandmother!
- Children are your investment but grandchildren are your dividend
- I hope you’re happy now, you two kids. You have sent your father to bed with heart palpitations
- You can’t hoot with the owls at night and tweet with the birds in the morning!
- Your father and I didn’t start drinking until we had you two children – we didn’t need to until then!
On libations:
- It’s 5 o-clock somewhere in the world!
- I’ll drink anything as long as it doesn’t explode!
And when all else fails:
- Put on some lipstick and you’ll feel better!
Barbara Zdravecky writes:
My Mother’s Day Tribute to my deceased Mother.My Mother, Marge, “In Charge”, was a dedicated Democratic politico who supported union organizing and who voted in every election. I have distinct memories of accompanying her into the curtained voting booth at the local fire hall where she used a pencil (with no eraser) to fill in the ballot. Thanks, Mom, for using your voice to make a better life for me.
Arnitta Grice-Walker writes:
I am a Mother of three daughters and they will never know how strong and wonderful their Grandmother, Mattie Harrison Grice was, may she rest in peace. She would be by my side in running for a seat in the Florida House as A Proud Woman of Color, District 9, Seat 9, in Tallahassee,Florida.
My mother was also a Republican, a volunteer and donor and one year ran the Repulican State Convention in Minnesota.Yeah, I know, I’m the black sheep of my family, though I grew up in the Majority in my State.My Mom celebrated my internship with Senator Hubert HumphreyMy Mom taught me that investing in Democracy is hard but crucial work.My Mom ran the campaign of the first Black Judge elected in St. Paul, MNShe once convinced a skeptical jury that the woman who was suing our local department store for false arrest would never have been stopped and accused of shoplifting if she had looked like my Mom. The black woman plaintiff got well-deserved damages, because my Mom was on the jury.She was a Republican, and she died 10 years ago, but she would be appalled by everything that is happening right now.She died of Emphysema, which is a uniquely terrible way to die. A patient’s lungs fill up with fluid until they eventually, essentially drown.She wouldn’t wish that on anyoneAnd that is exactly how most COVID patients die.My Mom would have understood that this was all preventable.I loved her very much.
My mother raised my brother and I alone. I saw her work so hard, with so much ethic. She is a good person, she is a fighter who did her best and my brother and I saw it. She is stronger than she knows. She gave me strength when I was bullied for years. She insisted I never give in. She taught me English with flash cards every single night. even though she hardly could speak it. She taught me how to do laundry and cook and sew at 7. She made sure to always decorate at Christmas no matter what her struggles were because she wanted to make us happy. She did what she was able. We bought warm French bread every Saturday at 4pm when it was warm. She did her best for us. She is true to herself and that to me has been the most impactful quality. She came to this country to make my life and my brother’s better. Our life wasn’t perfect by any means but she got us through it all. To be who you are , to always be honest, to never compromise your soul and principles for anyone, that you have nothing to prove to others for the sake of fitting in someone’s mold or box to be valid and good enough. To just be good person who never gives up.
My mom was a collegiate woman, an economics major and a Democrat all the way. She raised 5 kids successfully and helped mentor countless families (Navy Relief System) while also volunteering with therapists in public schools. My mom’s mom was a Suffragist who marched on Washington, a women’s advocate and a Democrat all the way. She raised 2 successful daughters who married, modern liberal men.
My mother was a product of the Great Depression and hard times. Her father died when she was ten, leaving her mother a widow in the 1930’s with my mom and her little sister Her mother, my grandmother, cleaned houses and later sold women’s dresses to take care of her two daughters. My mother’s bed was a Murphy bed where the three of them slept together. From this, my mother learned and taught me the importance of family, to trust and respect and rely on each other, and most of all love, no matter what, no matter how tough the outside world, a loving home was at the end of the day, the most wonderful thing to have. From this life, my mother also taught me to because the world can be a cruel, tough, place,but she believed, as do I, that we can make our own good fortune. She raised me to believe that I could do anything in the world, to have confidence and belief in myself and that I could “make it happen”, whatever it might be! My mother was amazing, self reliant, strong, courageous, incredibly organized and efficient, and my best cheerleader. I knew she loved me to the moon and back, and I loved her dearly, too.
Natascha Otero-Santiago writes:
I honor my 91 yo Mother – the indefatigable Chia Santiago. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she went to Barnard College and became an entrepreneur. Starting a career in Public Relations, she later brought to the island in the 60s the concept of “gyms” and spas opening one in each major hotel – Caribe Hilton, El San Juan, and what’s now, the Condado Plaza. She was also the first woman to own a Mustang in Puerto Rico – which she fell in love at the New York fair.
Her professional life was 1st and foremost in times where women would marry out of college – if they went to college at all. She had me at 38 and has taught me what is to be a powerful woman in a man’s world.
Still to this day, she is an incredible intelligent, opinionated, strong Latina who has her own Facebook account and is an advocate of progressive Democratic values.
Sierra Fareed writes:
My mom lost her Dad and the father of her child within 2 weeks of each other. Her mother had passed away only 6 years before that. Can you imagine the pain?
But with no parents and no man to help her she recognized she didn’t have the luxury of falling apart. Instead, she put the weight on her shoulders and did what was necessary to provide me with everything I would need. I can’t count how many times she went to work before I woke up and got off after I was asleep. The nights and weekends she worked jobs she hated, just so I could have a chance.
It used to make me mad; I felt like I lost both my parents at once. But looking back now it makes me proud because I know she instilled that same fight in me. My mom is my superhero because when life became unimaginably hard she never gave up, she went to work picking up the pieces of her life. And I am forever grateful for that.
Ruth Brandwein writes:
This is a Mother’s Day Tribute to my mom, Kate Solin, who died of complications from Alzheimers on July 31, 2001. Kate Solin was a major influence on shaping my life. although her education never went past eight grade and secretarial school, she was one of the most well read people I ever met. She always encouraged my reading, from My Secret Garden when I was very young to Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and Orwell’s 1984 when I was a bit older She had been a red diaper baby so these books and discussions in our home raised my consciousness of inequality and injustice, which has remained with me to this day.
She also loved good music–WQXR was always on in the background, and well as poetry and the beauty of nature. We lived in a three-room, fourth floor walkup apartment and she would look out the kitchen window to see one little tree in a neighbor’s yard. Although she did almost twenty years ago, her essence remains with me. Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
My mother, Sara, was a strong Democratic woman and raised me to believe in myself, always telling me that young women can succeed in whatever path they took. It was because of her encouragement, and faith in me, that I had a successful career in the stock market in both the US and UK in the 70’s-90’s followed by my volunteerism in the last 20 years. She was something special in her day. She was taken from this earth at the very early age on 64 in in 1980. I am thankful for her and miss her every day.
Pam Goodman writes:
My mother worked at home. She sewed my clothes. She cooked. She balanced the checkbook and paid the bills. She taught me how to be gracious. A lady. Etiquette.She also taught me how to be strong. Until the day she died, no matter the situation, when I asked her how she was doing, her reply was,” I’m fine. And so lucky. I love you so much. “ She wore her Revlon Lilac Champagne lipstick every day as warrior paint. And a spritz of White Shoulders cologne as her pepper spray.My mother never ran a business. She ran a family.
My mother never testified before a government committee. She gave testimony to her family and friends daily.
My mother never was a marcher. But she baked a cake for the first black family that moved in our neighborhood and brought me along to deliver the welcome gift.My mother didn’t burn her bra. She wore one every day. And was proud she had the breasts to fill it.
My mother was 45 when she became pregnant with me.
She had no choice. She knew the risks. But she took me for birth control in the 70’s when I told her I needed it.
She put a cool towel on my head in fevered fits of tonsillitis. And she mixed me whiskey and honey for my fevered throat.My mother was a Republican. And she voted every election. She voted for her beliefs in the 50’s and 60’s , 70’s. She cried uncontrollably the day JFK was assassinated. I was in the second grade And recall it clearly. She died in 1982.
Her daughter is a proud Democrat. Working to get like minded women elected to office. She ran a corporation. She’s testified countless times. She fights for human rights and especially women’s equal rights.
Most of all, she’s her mother’s daughter.
