Mom, thank You for all the things you taught me.

 

You taught me to pray when I was quite small. I can still remember that night time ritual. “In my little bed I lie, Heavenly Father hear my cry, Lord protect me through the night And bring me safe to morning light.”

You taught me to sing and to love music. The singing game was one of my favourite ways to pass time in a car on a long journey and I’ve passed it on to my children.

You taught me to use my imagination. I remember stories while we washed dishes.

You taught me to be creative and to think outside the box. Remember pea pods attached to string as a pounce toy for cats?

You taught me to do my best in whatever I tackled and you always wanted the best for me.

You taught me to love the outdoors. I remember camping holidays. (It’s true that John and I had to share the back seat with tents and chairs and who know what else and that wasn’t quite so much fun.)

You taught me to cook and to love baking. I remember when I was very little that I there were areas in our back garden that must have consisted mainly of clay. When the mud dried in the sun, it cracked and I used to imagine that the flakes were biscuits.

You taught me to love and respect animals. Davy Crocket was my cat but I remember Mitzi too, our water spaniel. There was a brief interlude with a white mouse which I think we put overnight in the old washing machine but as far as I remember it disappeared and perhaps the cat got it anyway.

You tried to teach me to be tidy. “A place for everything and everything in its place”. That lesson didn’t take so well and I am still untidy.

You also tried to teach me not to cry so easily, a lesson you had taught yourself at a very young age but I’m afraid that one didn’t take either and it is still one of my problems and embarrassments in life.

When I was the right age you sent me to Brownies and then later you became a Guider and ran a Girl Guide Company. Thus started one of the happiest periods of my life. I loved being a Guide and learned so much. I tackled as many interest badges as I could and learned such varied things as how to change a tyre, first aid, camping skills, axemanship, and even a couple of words of Portuguese.

You gave me the opportunities to try different things, ballet and tap dancing, speech and drama, singing lessons and in whatever I did you were my strongest supporter. You learned to make ballet tutus and dancing costumes and attended all my eisteddfods and concerts.You encouraged me in everything and helped me grow in self confidence.

You taught me to sew. I remember spending my pocket money on some yellow foam rubber and sewing myself (very badly) at least a skirt and I’m not sure if there was a top and a hat. You made me lovely dresses and watched magazines to find out what was the latest fashion. (Unfortunately I was a particularly un-fashion-conscious teenager so you put aside your fashion sense and made me dresses I liked (with a waist and a skirt))

Besides skills, you taught me attitudes. You said you had to “Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again.” You taught me to be positive and not negative. When Dad was out of a job for a while you saw it as a challenge and learned to make fish cakes out of tinned fish. We were never very rich but we had all that we needed.

You taught me by example. Whatever you set your hand to, you excelled at. You joined the writer’s club and have had a book published. You soon got yourself onto the committee and ended up giving workshops and seminars. When you joined the Woman’s Institute, you tried everything and won several prizes. When you joined Trim Gym, you ended up leading the classes when your instructress was away. You learned Calligraphy and did wonderful pieces of art and sold your work at Art in the Park. I could go on and on, but this is supposed to be a greeting for your 80^th birthday card.

Most of all, Mom, you have been a wonderful mother and I am so proud to be your daughter. I just hope I can be as good a mother to my children as you have modelled for me. I love you very much. Happy Birthday for the 6^th. Jenny