Good Mother

Written by: Gina Austin

My mom was a good mother. She never got to be a grandmother but I know she would’ve been a great one.

She went into the nursing home when my firstborn was 2 months old and died when I was 7 months pregnant with my third (and last).

Her later years were complicated by health issues and depression after my father died. But those early years...when I was growing up...those were good years.

I know she worked for a while when we were in elementary school but she was always there when my sister and I got home. She was the mom who made homemade pizza for the class parties...you could do that back then. She always made box cakes for our birthdays complete with rosettes made from that icing that comes in a tube. She would watch us play in our above ground pool for hours every summer. She would yell at us when we fought and ignore us at times when she was engrossed in one of her books....I’m pretty sure that’s where I got my love of reading. She was a good mom. She had rough days when we made her crazy...I have them too with my kids. She loved us beyond words and we knew it because she told us often.

Good Mother

She taught my sister and me to live by the golden rule...”Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”. Her famous mom sayings were “kindness brings kindness”. (this was used most often when my sister and I were beating the snot out of each other) and “life is what you make it”. It sure is.

Good Mother

I grew up in the 70s and 80s. No computers, no cell phones, no tablets, no video games, no cable tv, no microwaves, no blu-rays...heck, even the VCR didn’t come around until I was in junior high. But, every summer the local movie theaters would release all the Disney classics. And mom would take us to all of them. To be fair, I think she enjoyed them just as much as we did. She always made popcorn at home and brought it in brown paper bags stuffed in her oversized purse. I’m pretty sure you could smell us coming a mile away but the theater staff never said a word. This is one of my favorite memories of her. We didn’t take big family vacations, we didn’t live in a big house, we didn’t have all the extra stuff. But we had a mom who spent time with us, took care of us and loved us dearly. In my book that’s a pretty good mother.

I sometimes wonder if she would think I am a good mother. I’m pretty sure she would.

Good Mother