Regarding Daisy

My mother (Daisy) was 29 years old when I was born. When I arrived on the scene my Mom already had seven other children, there were to be another five behind me, not including the two children that died.

To me my mother is definitely a biased cheerleader. She is a nurturer and is not a nag. My mother has always given me unconditional love, consistency, helped me to be the best I can be, and has always made it clear that I count and my feelings are of value.

I stand in awe of my mother for so many reasons. I am going to try to make a cohesive story here so that while I am standing in awe, you may stand with me.

My Mom was born in Aberdeen, Scotland where she lived until she immigrated to Canada as a war bride. Because it is my Mom’s birthday today and obviously your lucky day since you are going to hear about her; I will tell you a story from her teenage years.

My Mom’s teen years were spent during World War II where many bomb scares happened regularly. My Mom described the following scene to me many years ago.

“I was about 14 years old and me and a friend named Derrick were crossing Tory Bridge when we heard the sirens go off. Search lights went on and were crisscrossing the sky when Derrick and I saw a bomb dropping from a Nazi plane. We got so scared that we jumped off the bridge into the River Dee. There was bombing almost every night and we would have to go to the air raid shelters where the ‘grannies’ would feed us.”

This is another story that I get a good kick out of. Shelly was telling me it a few years ago; my Mom saw Queen Elizabeth when she was a child (apparently they are the same age) riding in a carriage and she looked at my Mom and my Mom stuck her tongue out at her. har har har; good one.

Some of the happiest memories I have of my Mom were when I was growing up and she would give me any and all of her magazines to open up. I was allowed to read them even before her. It was never the magazine that made me happy, it was how special Mom always made me feel. Mom always made me feel smart. The happiest memory I have of Mom as an adult is how special she makes each of my children feel.

In our family home every day after supper my Mom would get us to kneel in front of her three foot tall statue of Mary (yes Jacquie I am pointing my finger at you) which has since broke and we would recite the rosary. We all got turns to hold the rosary and say a few beads. It is still one of my fondest memories. My Mom prays for me every morning when she says her rosary and nothing could mean more to me.

Contrary to what the others might say, I am my mother’s favourite child. This is proven in many ways but I will just give you a few. In every picture of our travels as kids or Christmas pictures I am the one that is always either sitting or standing by my Mom. When I was in high school I got picked up everyday from school and my Mom always told the others it was because she forgot to pick up something at Safeway (nice one Mom, everyone knew you were picking me up). I don’t think we drove by any of the others, although we may have since we only had eyes for each other, we wouldn’t have noticed them. ha ha ha; I’m cracking myself up.

My Mom has the greatest love of music and I have received that gift from her. When we were all wee girls Mom use to teach us to do highland dancing. We would pretend that there were swords on the floor and do the sword dance with our little toes pointing up to our knees with the opposite fingers over our head. What a blast. Mom and I still sing along to Andy Stewart (Scottish Soldier) which is just another show of proof that I am her favourite child (just in case some of those sticklers (Mickey) are still moaning over the facts).

My mother is a very attractive woman and when she was younger she was a knockout. My Dad always said that she had a fine understanding (talking about her legs).

Describing my Mom I would have to say that she is fair, kind giving, honourable, does not gossip, is a good friend, caring, fun, makes the most of a situation, is not a complainer, full of life, energetic, game for anything, private, strong, great listener, always has something interesting to say, does not interfere in other people’s business, and she has a huge heart. My Mom is everything that is wonderful and I am very proud of her.

You are probably thinking ‘no one is a saint’. Well if you asked to see the negative side of my Mom I would have to say that I really don’t believe she has one. I mean Mom embellishes stories, but so do I. Is that negative or does it just make a story more interesting (as in the Queen and the tongue)?

My mother never preached but she did teach. Mom taught us the golden rules ‘love one another; judge not; and treat others how you would want to be treated.’ Some of the most important things I have learnt in my life are from my Mom. Mom would always remind us that ‘It is okay to have a first impression but you don’t have to marry it.’ We were always told to take people as we find them, not as others find them. If there is something I didn’t get from my mother I don’t know what it is.

My mother and I have a relationship of two adult women, we are equals. I do not carry any past disappointments on how I have been mothered. My Mom is the BEST mother and without a doubt her family has been her life’s work.

It is my mother that has helped me believe that I could make it through the chemo, the radiation and the general fuckiness of cancer.

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials, heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when troubles thicken around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~~ Washington Irving ~~

It is my mother’s faith in me that has given me faith in myself. I love my mother and she means more to me than anyone outside of my children. Mom thank you for the privilege.

Happy 82nd Birthday Mom. Love Renee, Wahid, Angelique, Nadalene, Nathan and Josephine.