MIXED MEDIA - COLLAGE - CRAFTS WITH MY KIDS - THE ARTISTIC MOTHER ART GROUP

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Tribute to an Amazing Woman





I would like to honor my mother, Jonel, today. She is an amazing woman. She reared her three children as a single mother and did an amazing job. Times were tough. We didn't have much financially, but she never gave up. Somehow she saw us through. 
We never worried about where our next meal would come from or whether there would always be a roof over our heads, even though she did; she didn't let us know how much of a struggle it was to provide. We were oblivious. Kind of nice not to have that stress as a child. Life was hard enough as it was without adding more to it. I was made fun of in school for not having nice clothes. I was not in the popular crowd. I think it's all made me a more compassionate and loving person instead of one who thinks she is better than others.

She taught us to be strong and to have a good work ethic. She supported us in whatever we chose to do in life. Even though we were poor, that didn't mean that we were less than others. We were to care about the way we carried ourselves. She expected us to have good manners, speak properly with good grammar, to stand tall with good posture, to chose quality friends. 

Because she couldn't give us everything she would have liked, it made us stronger because we had to work for whatever it was that we wanted or needed. I bought my own car, paid for my own car repairs and gas, bought my own clothes, movie tickets, etc. 

My mother is also a breast cancer survivor. She didn't think she would live long enough to rear her children. She handled the situation so well. We were never afraid or thought our mother would die because she didn't share the scary details or possibilities with us. She kept them to herself. We didn't even know she was in pain or having reactions. We didn't know when she went to appointments. We didn't know she had lost her hair. She didn't talk about it. She wore a wig and went to the effort to still look gorgeous. She didn't go around feeling sorry for herself. She continued to go to work day after day in spite of the horrible reactions from the chemo. She never complained, although her pain was great. So we were able to enjoy our childhoods without a worry in the world. I am so thankful for that. Now she is a wonderful grandmother. She is so artistically creative and has an engineering mind. She can figure out pretty much how to rig or make anything. She used those skills in a decorating business where she and her husband, whom she married when I was almost grown, would decorate the malls for the holidays. And now she uses them to help the grandchildren with their school projects. 

Thanks mom for hanging in there and not giving up, for the example you've been, for all you have done and are doing. I dedicate this video to you.

7 comments:

  1. What a lovely tribute to your Mom. She sounds like such a wonderful mother and lady.
    An inspiring role model for sure!

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  2. What a pretty little Mommy! Great post.

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  3. What a beautiful post! Your Mom will be proud - your love and respect for her is very clear.
    Thank you too for you kind comments, Kristin xo

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  4. Beautiful tribute! Moms are amazing

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  5. oh trudy...that's beautiful....i love thi video too...it made me cry the first time i saw it....my mum sounds very similar to yours...although we did have our dad....we all...the 5 girls...grew up to be caring women...maybe my posture asn't as wonderful as my mum hoped!!!lol...my mum is now dealing with early onset alzhiemers...not much fun...but we take it a day at a time...thanks for sharing..now we all know why you are so wonderful...ps...hooray...thank kimbery for me...love my psper too...woud you believe customs opened it???!!!!wierd...oh well....i love it anyhows...hugs...xxx

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  6. What a touching tribute to your mother Trudy...she is a remarkable woman! I see your Emily in that photo of your mother...miss you all. Been keeping you all in our prayers. Has Marty fully recovered from the car accident? Hugs and grace, Amy

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  7. What an incredible and touching tribute and video to your Mom! As a breast cancer survivor myself, I know how brave your Mom was to do what she did.

    Hugs,
    Kat

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