The following are ideas from the community of things we could do, tales of people who appreciate a woman or women in their life. Share your idea, or story and tell the world about the women who are special to you.
Debbie P. said:
“The Most Amazing Person in the World”
That is what my mom is too me. She was born on August 26th 1932 in a very humble setting, her mom’s bedroom. With the help from a next door neighbor, she was delivered weighing approximately six pounds. Her crib was a drawer from her mother’s bureau; needless to say they didn’t have much. My mom was the second child out of three and the only girl. When my mom was six years old she endured the first of many traumas in her life - witnessing her seven year old brothers accidental drowning. My mother witnessed quite a bit of verbal and physical abuse toward her mother from her father, which ultimately lead to their divorce. Soon after that my mother spent most of her time helping her poor, overworked mother with many daily chores; doing all of this while watching over her younger brother. Every Saturday morning she would have to take a three hour trip by foot, bus, and train to pick up her mom’s eight dollar government support check to help them get through the following week. During World War II, and at age 10, she would stand outside during the winter for two or more hours waiting in a line for heating oil. She would pull a sled home carrying the oil and cry from painful, numb hands and feet. She had a difficult childhood to say the least.
There was one summer when my mother was without her mother and had to stay with other family members because my grandmother was jobless. Upon my grandmothers return, my mother was elated to be together with her mother again. In her early teen years, my mother, uncle, and grandmother survived a horrific house fire. When my mother was 14, she met my father, Joseph. At the age of 16 she graduated high school a year early with high honors. And at age 19 my mother and father wed.
She then went on to have six children, five of which she had within eight years. During that time she worked two jobs, bringing the children along with her on one of them. Seven years after the fifth child, and after an incredibly difficult pregnancy, I came along. In her first trimester my mother fell and hit her face on a coffee table and broke her jaw in five places just missing her temple. She was hospitalized for weeks with her jaw wired shut. Only being able to take in a liquid diet, the doctor said she would not carry to term, but my mother was determined she would. and did because of her strong will.
At age 62, my mother lost her 15 year old grandson to a car accident. Also, in that accident, was my sister Karen who suffered severe brain damage and survived for seven years thereafter in a rehabilitation facility. My mother never missed a day to be with her daughter, taking care of her endlessly the way she did when Karen was a small girl. It has been 10 years since my sister has passed on; my mom always said she could never imagine the horror of losing a child, and then she did. And still found strength to comfort everyone during the incredibly difficult loss of these family members.
At age 70, my mother was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis, a disease that has the potential to paralyze muscles in the body if gone untreated. There is no known cure. A couple years after that diagnoses she courageously endured a Mastectomy. She now cares for my sick father while battling her own illnesses.
She is selfless, very modest, and the kindest of souls. I could go on and on with more stories of my mom that showed her incredible courage, strength, endless caring, and good will. My mother is now 79, married 60 years this month, is the grandmother of 16, and great grandmother of four. My mother gives endlessly and never asks for anything in return. She has been the wind beneath many wings; in fact my song to her is “The Wind Beneath my Wings” by Bette Midler. It breaks my heart to see my mother suffer from depression these past few years, but who wouldn’t after all she has been through. And even though she battles her depression, she finds the strength every day to stand strong and be there for her family and friends. I thank God for giving me such an incredible mother and best friend. If I could be a quarter of the women she is, I would be blessed. I love you dearly mom, you are truly an AMAZING WOMAN..
Love your daughter Debbie
That is what my mom is too me. She was born on August 26th 1932 in a very humble setting, her mom’s bedroom. With the help from a next door neighbor, she was delivered weighing approximately six pounds. Her crib was a drawer from her mother’s bureau; needless to say they didn’t have much. My mom was the second child out of three and the only girl. When my mom was six years old she endured the first of many traumas in her life - witnessing her seven year old brothers accidental drowning. My mother witnessed quite a bit of verbal and physical abuse toward her mother from her father, which ultimately lead to their divorce. Soon after that my mother spent most of her time helping her poor, overworked mother with many daily chores; doing all of this while watching over her younger brother. Every Saturday morning she would have to take a three hour trip by foot, bus, and train to pick up her mom’s eight dollar government support check to help them get through the following week. During World War II, and at age 10, she would stand outside during the winter for two or more hours waiting in a line for heating oil. She would pull a sled home carrying the oil and cry from painful, numb hands and feet. She had a difficult childhood to say the least.
There was one summer when my mother was without her mother and had to stay with other family members because my grandmother was jobless. Upon my grandmothers return, my mother was elated to be together with her mother again. In her early teen years, my mother, uncle, and grandmother survived a horrific house fire. When my mother was 14, she met my father, Joseph. At the age of 16 she graduated high school a year early with high honors. And at age 19 my mother and father wed.
She then went on to have six children, five of which she had within eight years. During that time she worked two jobs, bringing the children along with her on one of them. Seven years after the fifth child, and after an incredibly difficult pregnancy, I came along. In her first trimester my mother fell and hit her face on a coffee table and broke her jaw in five places just missing her temple. She was hospitalized for weeks with her jaw wired shut. Only being able to take in a liquid diet, the doctor said she would not carry to term, but my mother was determined she would. and did because of her strong will.
At age 62, my mother lost her 15 year old grandson to a car accident. Also, in that accident, was my sister Karen who suffered severe brain damage and survived for seven years thereafter in a rehabilitation facility. My mother never missed a day to be with her daughter, taking care of her endlessly the way she did when Karen was a small girl. It has been 10 years since my sister has passed on; my mom always said she could never imagine the horror of losing a child, and then she did. And still found strength to comfort everyone during the incredibly difficult loss of these family members.
At age 70, my mother was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis, a disease that has the potential to paralyze muscles in the body if gone untreated. There is no known cure. A couple years after that diagnoses she courageously endured a Mastectomy. She now cares for my sick father while battling her own illnesses.
She is selfless, very modest, and the kindest of souls. I could go on and on with more stories of my mom that showed her incredible courage, strength, endless caring, and good will. My mother is now 79, married 60 years this month, is the grandmother of 16, and great grandmother of four. My mother gives endlessly and never asks for anything in return. She has been the wind beneath many wings; in fact my song to her is “The Wind Beneath my Wings” by Bette Midler. It breaks my heart to see my mother suffer from depression these past few years, but who wouldn’t after all she has been through. And even though she battles her depression, she finds the strength every day to stand strong and be there for her family and friends. I thank God for giving me such an incredible mother and best friend. If I could be a quarter of the women she is, I would be blessed. I love you dearly mom, you are truly an AMAZING WOMAN..
Love your daughter Debbie
Posted: 09-19-11
Laurie G. said:
I’m doing a shout out for an amazing woman named Hilda Desilets. She is my mémère. (Grandmother) I have such fond memories of her growing up. I remember visiting her often and thinking about what adventure would we go on while I was there? She owned a ton of land so there was a lot of places to explore!
We would go and pick beans, tomatoes, and corn out of the garden together. We would go to the barn and feed the horse together. Or she would take me to the lake to swim. Then we would always end up inside the kitchen where she would always give me a special treat- usually it was ice cream. I guess that is where my ice cream addiction comes from!
However, my most memorable time with Mémère was when we would walk together so she could take me on a tour of her flower garden. She was so proud of all her flowers! She would tell me the names of all the different flowers, I could hear the exhilaration in her voice and her eyes would light up with each new flower that we discovered together.
Then she would get a frown on her face as she pointed out a weed. “Those are weeds and you don’t want those in your garden they will choke out your beautiful flowers. “ She would then start pulling it out of the ground. I remember her saying, “Laurie someday you will have a garden and you will know what are flowers and what are weeds!” I just laughed and nonchalantly replied with a “yeah.”
But of course at that very moment in time I thought I’m NEVER going to have a garden it’s too much work! She then stood up and hugged me and said, “You are my beautiful flower Laurie and you are so precious to me!”
Now that I am older I can look back and appreciate that moment in time and I cherish it. I can see now just how much love she had inside her for me. Thinking about it makes me smile. It gives me a great sense of serenity and well-being.
I have to laugh now, because I do have a garden and it’s beautiful all because of her lessons. That little bit of time she spent with me showing me her garden, I keep close to my heart. It’s a memory that I will always treasure.
Mémère, you are MY beautiful flower and you are precious to me! I love you!
-Laurie
We would go and pick beans, tomatoes, and corn out of the garden together. We would go to the barn and feed the horse together. Or she would take me to the lake to swim. Then we would always end up inside the kitchen where she would always give me a special treat- usually it was ice cream. I guess that is where my ice cream addiction comes from!
However, my most memorable time with Mémère was when we would walk together so she could take me on a tour of her flower garden. She was so proud of all her flowers! She would tell me the names of all the different flowers, I could hear the exhilaration in her voice and her eyes would light up with each new flower that we discovered together.
Then she would get a frown on her face as she pointed out a weed. “Those are weeds and you don’t want those in your garden they will choke out your beautiful flowers. “ She would then start pulling it out of the ground. I remember her saying, “Laurie someday you will have a garden and you will know what are flowers and what are weeds!” I just laughed and nonchalantly replied with a “yeah.”
But of course at that very moment in time I thought I’m NEVER going to have a garden it’s too much work! She then stood up and hugged me and said, “You are my beautiful flower Laurie and you are so precious to me!”
Now that I am older I can look back and appreciate that moment in time and I cherish it. I can see now just how much love she had inside her for me. Thinking about it makes me smile. It gives me a great sense of serenity and well-being.
I have to laugh now, because I do have a garden and it’s beautiful all because of her lessons. That little bit of time she spent with me showing me her garden, I keep close to my heart. It’s a memory that I will always treasure.
Mémère, you are MY beautiful flower and you are precious to me! I love you!
-Laurie
Posted: 06-04-11
Jason said:
I am writing to let you know about my mother, Gail. A couple of years ago she became a survivor of breast cancer, however after a double mastectomy it was discovered she had a disease that significantly reduces her body's ability to heal. She now has a problem with her lungs that is causing scar tissue in her lungs and will get progressively worse until she needs a lung replacement to which her body will not likely heal so, in essence, this will be what takes her away from me. Growing up with her raising me, there is no one I can compare her greatness to. She is my amazing woman and I love her. I cannot think of what life will be like when she is gone because I am trying to spend my time appreciating every day she is still here.
Posted: 06-03-11
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