My children loved to visit with Violet, too!
Mother’s Day is this month, but when I think about Mother’s Day I also think of all the amazing women who have a mother’s heart but have never had the opportunity to raise their own children. I also think of the many women who have touched my life for good and chose to be a part of my life even though there was no relation.
One such woman was Violet Hermiston. She was 90 years old and I was only 15 when we met. I had chosen her to be my ‘grandma’ as part of a service project and was to visit with her over a 3-month period. What started out as a service project developed into a lifelong friendship, one that I will always treasure.
The first time I walked down the long hall of the Seniors Complex, I remember feeling a little nervous but when I turned the corner to her door I heard her laughing away.
I was curious about what was so funny. She was sharing with a friend how her neighbors’ dog, Alex, had snuck into her room without her knowing and had started to lick her leg from under her bed. What was really funny about this situation was when she shared this story with her friend she had said, “Alex had snuck into my room and was hiding under my bed and I just about jumped out of my skin when he started licking my ankles!” The friend had looked startled and wasn’t sure how to reply. You see, Alex was the name of another gentleman that lived down the hall in their complex and this was quite a shock to the other lady who assumed it was that Alex under her bed, not the dog Alex. They were getting a great chuckle out of this misunderstanding.
This first meeting with Violet definitely made me laugh and every week for three months I came to visit this amazing lady who had lived through so much and still found so much to live for, laugh about, and love. She inspired me at such a tender age to live my life in such a way. She taught me countless things about life, love, happiness and really living and doing what is most important.
I continued to visit with Violet, long after I completed my service project. Years passed and I married and moved away from home but every time I came home I would always stop in to visit with Violet. Violet passed away a few years ago but, she lived to be 103 years old…amazing and her legacy lives on in me: I try my best to live up to her standards and to be a better wife, mother, and friend because of her loving example to me.
Is there someone in your life who has had such an impact on your life or the life of those you love?
As a mother of four children I am so grateful for the many positive influences of wonderful women who have made an impact for good on each of our lives. It is so important to remember and recognize all of the women who positively contribute to our children’s live directly and indirectly, whether they are mothers or not. Every mother and woman needs to know that what they do matters and that is the reason for this month’s challenge.
So I would like to challenge you on this Mother’s Day to take a moment to list and think about all of the amazing women and girls in your life. Then along with your children say thank you through a phone call, a kind word, a thank you card, a batch of cookies or a bouquet of flowers grown or drawn throughout this month of May.
This could be a year round challenge too; saying thank you is always a perfect way to brighten a day and make a difference in someone’s life.
And I just want to say, Thank you for being a deliberate mother and for all the good you do in the world by being YOU!
