Every day I become more and more thankful for and in awe of my mum. Each year, especially since becoming a mother myself, I appreciate more the strong, but empathetic person she is.
When I was almost 12, my dad died. He was my best friend, but he was my mom’s soul mate. While grieving for him, she lost her mother, her father, and her mother-in-law in the span of three years. I can’t imagine that. I can’t imagine how she managed to raise and wrangle a defiant, horrible teenager (because I was) while also grieving for people she loved so much and trying to figure out how to function on her own.
Today, she is the most fantastic grandmother to my kids. She is beautiful, she is intelligent, she travels, she has wonderful friends who love and appreciate her, she works hard, she is the best mom I could ever ask for and I am thankful every day.
On this Mother’s Day, I want to thank her and the mothers who came before both of us whose very existence ensured mine.
Thank you to my 3 grandmas: Lois, Ruth, and Sharon (the two former I think of often and I so wish you were here! The latter who I am happy to say I can thank ย in person if I want to- Love you Grams!)
Thank you to my 4 great-grandmas: Mildred, Adela, Grace, and Mary Amanda.
Thank you to my great-greats: ย Stella, Patra, Domenica, Angela, Barbara, Marie, Ella, and Katherine Corinne “Katie. ”
Thank you to my great-great-greats and beyond: Elisabetta, Berardina, Catherine, Katherine, Katherine, Anna Maria, Eva, Martha, Anna, Anna Catherine, Magdalena, Susannah, Anna Maria, Anna Maria, Christina, Maria, Barbara, Maria Barbara, Nancy, Susanna, Elisabetha, Anna Maria, Katherine, Anna, Elisabetha, Anna Marie, Veronica, Anna, Deborah, Barbara, Barbara, Sytge, Barbli, Maria Margarethe, Barbara, Elsbeth, Elsbeth, Anna, Mary, Elizabeth, Anna, Frances, Barbara, Anna, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Jane, Mary, Elisabeth, Magdalena, Anna, Anna, Hannah, Rucina, Sarah, Hannah, Eleanor, Mary, Mary, Martha, Florence, Mary, Agnes, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, Mary Jane, Elizabeth, Martha, Amanda, Elizabeth “Betsy,” Catharina, Hannah, Mary, Elenor “Nellie,” Susannah, Sarah, Jemima, Mary, Remember, Mary, Mary, Judith, Mary, Margarette, Margaret, Prudence, Jane, Catherine, Ann, Susan, Alice, Bridget, Elizabeth, Thomazine, Mary, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Jane, Joice, Dorothy, Elizabeth, Alice, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Anne, Alice, Margaret, Mary, Elizabeth, Joan, Elizabeth, Margery, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Margaret, Joan, Margaret, Elizabeth, Elizabeth, Margaret, Philippa, Alice, Philippa, Elizabeth, Katherine, Elizabeth, Ida, Alianore, Ankaret, Alice, Alice, Philippe, Maud, Sibyl, Jane, Margaret, Isabel, Philippa, Elizabeth,ย Isabella, Margaret, Hawise, Aline, Matilda, Mary, Isabel, Isabel, Agnes, Maud, Isabel, Lucy, Joan, Margaret, Juliana, Maud, Maud, Isabel, Margaret, Juliana, Euphemia, Margaret, Ela, Helen, Isolt, Joan, Margaret, Joan, Maud, Blanche, Maud, Jeanne, Elizabeth, Catherine, Hawise, Isabella, Philippa, Joan, Eleanor, Joan, Philippa, Margaret, Eleanor, Joan, Isabella, Blanche, Adelaide, Margaret, Isabella, Maria, Elizabeth, Maud, Maud, Margaret, Joan, Blanche, Isabella, Aveline, Eleanor, Matilda, Hawise, Matilda, Ela, Ida, Ela, Hawise, Alice, Isabel, Margaret, Agnes, Margaret, Orabilis, Petronilla, Joan, Maud, Juliana, Maud, Hawise, Eve, Alisone, Philippa, Elizabeth, Johanna, Isabel, Alice, Alice, Gundred, Gundred, Elizabeth “Isabel,” Anne, Adelaide, Adele, Constance, Ingegard, Pavia, Adele, Adelaide, Adelaide-Blanche, Ermengarde, Alix, Ida, Maud, Isabel, Juliana, Margaret, Sybilla, Aoife, Adeline, Ida, Petronilla, Margaret, Isabel, Mor, Adelise, Judith, Adelaide, Jane, Jane, Eleanor,ย and so on and so on…and so on….
…and thank you to my husband and my kids for letting me join this wonderful club. I love you!
Beautiful! Happy Mother’s day Zoe!
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Thank you!
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Happy Motherโs Day! (Thatโs quite a list of Mothers!!)
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Thank you! Yes, at some point I gave up. I figured the ones who I left off wouldn’t take it personally. :p
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A lovely tribute to the mothers in your life! I hope you had a good Mother’s Day. Do kids still do the breakfast-in-bed thing on Mother’s Day? (My mother wouldn’t stand for it.)
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Thank you! I did! They probably do; mine have never done that for me, but that’s never been a thing I wanted anyway. I fully believe in the importance of me-time, but eating alone in bed with a tray in your lap while the rest of your family eats downstairs doesn’t really sound like my cup of tea.
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A sweet tribute, and I love all the mothers’ names!
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Thank you! That was fun to do, but I did have to give up at one point because I lost track. Oh well, most of the ones I missed have been dead for 500 years so I don’t think they’ll hold it against me. :p
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