Mother’s Day

On Mother’s Day, it seems only fitting that I write about the various moms in our lives.  I am lucky and blessed to still have my mom with me and wish her a wonderful Mother’s Day.  Growing up, mom was the youngest of seven children born to immigrant parents.  As the youngest, she often told us stories of how she had eight people always telling her what to do so that when she went to play outside, she was “the boss” or “the leader’ of her friends.  She often said how it was the depression and when her father would take the kids shoe shopping, they would fill up the seats in the shoe store and her father would say, with his Italian accent, “Mister, shoes, not too much.”  “Seven.”  My mom also remembers her mother making bread.  My grandmother would get up at 2:00a.m., make the dough, and then let it rise until morning.  Then in the morning, she would bake the loaves.  The children would wake to the smell of fresh bread two or three times a week.  One of my aunts also recalls her mother delivering bread to the neighbors at holidays.  She recalls the neighbors excitement as one would say, “Here comes Mrs. Larco with the bread.”  Apparently my grandmother was known for her bread baking.  As my grandmother was known for her bread baking, my mom was known among her sisters for her homemade chicken soup.  My Aunt Angie would often say, “Adeline makes the best soup.”  Aunt Angie left us last month to be with her parents and brothers and is deeply missed.  My Aunt Angie had great stories about family life in the 30’s and 40’s also.  Aunt Angie was the social one.  Since she and my mom are only 18months apart, they were a year apart in school.  In high school, they had a gym class together.  My aunt would often get reprimanded for her talking.  My mom, the quiet one, was often held in esteem to her older sister with the teacher saying, “Miss Larco, why can’t you be quiet like your sister?”  To this my aunt would jab my mother and say, “Can’t you talk a little?”  As a teacher, I can attest to the fact that times may have changed, but children have not.  Many of my students still have a lot to say.  Some of my other students are quiet like  my mom was in school.  Even with cell phones and texting, human contact is still the main stream of communication.  Put thirty plus teenagers in a classroom and there is much conversation.  Some about the lesson, at hand,  some not so much.  So for this Mother’s Day,  it is my hope and wish that all moms receive plenty of love and conversation from their children and the children whose lives they have touched as a “mom.”  I know I am forever grateful to my mom, aunts, and neighbors who were all “mom” to me growing up.  Happy Mother’s Day!