Growing up country, my mother gained perspectives that many no longer have. She was committed to raising my little sister and I in the north country wilds as well. From the bedtime stories to walks down winding country roads during which she’d point out wildflowers, birds and other scenes and beings of beauty, Mom rooted us in the land. Beautiful hand-crafted paper dolls she made for us were drawn of a time not so long ago. We lived a life of magic as she had when she was a child, surrounded by woods and family.
When my parents divorced after twenty years of marriage, my mom remained committed to raising us country. Whether with clerical work or cashier, she worked hard to keep our family afloat all while prioritizing time with us girls.
There were visits to wild lakes just down the road, sometimes a Bigfoot pizza from Pizza Hut in hand, where we’d watch loons, dragonflies and maybe a fish or two surfacing, ripples slowly making their way to shore.
After school and work, there were frequent evening walks or bike rides through spring woods.
Bald eagles along the river. Sunsets over cranberry bogs. Catching autumn leaves as they fell in golden showers. Hot cocoa in the winter-time, watching the snow fall as we settled in for a good read from favorite books.
And magical nights of northern lights, the whip-poor-wills as excited by the show as we were. Like with her own childhood, despite the economic poverty, life was rich.
As a grandmother, we’re fortunate to have her with us in a way that grandmothers have been for millennia, an integral part not only of our family but also of our multigenerational home. From homeschooling to lakeside afternoons and not a few lessons in the need to stand for the land, her patience, kindness and love of family and the Earth continue to sparkle through all she brings to our lives and to her work to protect this land that is such a part of her as she is of it. I only hope I can convey the magic of growing up country to yet another generation in the way she did for my sister and I.
My mom has been the major inspiration for who I am and what I do. And on this Mother’s Day, I want to honor her and thank her for that and for the lessons she’s taught me:
In courage: Know what you believe in and stand for it no matter how others may laugh, ridicule, undermine, slander, or insult.
In compassion: Everyone deserves caring respect no matter how much you may disagree with their opinions, beliefs or ideas.
In understanding: Work to see the heart of those who may not see things the same as you and build the bridges that are needed not to compromise but to reach mutually respectful understandings whenever possible
In family: Family is everything from remembering the stories of those who came before to mindfully loving those with us in the present to laying the groundwork for a happy and wholesome future in the years to come.
In the land: Every nook of Creation is filled with beauty, life, and wonder. It is an honor to love, nurture, and protect it. Living simply is essential if we are to live with respect for all our relations.
In love and spirit: Love pervades the universe whether we call it God or the Great Spirit or something else, this spiritual force well beyond our full comprehension is the essence of what brings all beings together.
In integrity and kindness: Always be true to your best self. Always be kind.
Thank-you, Mom. I couldn’t have asked for a better mother, advisor and best friend.
With all my love, Happy Mother’s Day!
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