Usually on Mother’s Day, we use this space to opine on the joys of motherhood. This year, we thought we’d try something a little different, and invited Clarion staff to share a thought or two on what makes their mom special, or, for the moms we work with, things about motherhood that have been special to them. Here’s what they shared:
“I can remember so vividly just staring at my first born and experiencing intense bewilderment and disbelief. I would stare for what seemed like hours thinking, ‘I can’t believe I’m a Mom, and you are my son.’ I experienced this with each of my three children.
“Being a Mom has been one of the most fulfilling part of my life, until recently — December 18th of 2015 to be exact. I am now a Grandmother. Now I watch my daughter experience the same intense feeling as she stares down at her newborn son.
“My mom would tell me, ‘Soak these moments up, they will go by fast.’ Now, I say the same words to my daughter. I find myself repeating a lot of my mother’s words again, but they are more clear to me now. Joy, heartache, pride, fear, love … all at the same time, craziness. I love being a Mom.”
— Sandy Privatt, marketing consultant
“What makes my mom special? She is the only mom I know that would throw up the devil horns out the car window for their adult child because they were too busy concentrating on the snowy road conditions to do it on their own.”
— Randi Keaton, circulation manager
“One of the perils of growing up with a mom that looks as young as mine is being called sisters. Even worse, was when I was once called the older sister, which was when I begged for mom to let her gray shine! Now, years later, I’m thrilled to have her secrets, even though I often forget my ‘oil of old lady’ in the morning, and wouldn’t be caught with a natural hair color unless you paid me. But, more than being graced with her excellent mom-genes, it has been (a whole lotta) years of learning and growing and testing each other. We’ve laughed till we cried, we’ve cried till we laughed, we’ve grown up, grown out, shrunk down, mouthed off, kept quiet (stop laughing, dad!) rhymed, sang, and sometimes yelled our way through more days than we want to admit. I hope that though we sometimes mother differently, I still make her proud of how I handle my own family. After all, I learned from the best.”
— Beth Ulricksen, front desk associate
“I remember very clearly a day in pre-school when my mom came back just as I was settling into my collection of blocks and pulled me out to ditch for the day, just because she wanted to spend more time with me. At the time, I was upset because I liked school and didn’t want to miss out. I don’t remember what we did the rest of that day, but I know she’s supported my adventures and independence ever since. She reminds me to step back and not take life too seriously, which I’ll always be grateful for.”
— Megan Pacer, reporter
“My mom used to wheel me around in a baby buggy in the middle of a Wisconsin winter. When we got home, if I was sleeping, she would leave me outside in the cold, watching through the window until I woke up. I figure that’s why I ended up making easy peace with the cold of Alaska.”
— Jeff Helminiak, sports editor
“My mom was my first friend, sometimes feels like my only friend, and will always be my best friend. She has taught me enough to fill an entire Sunday issue but these are some of the lessons that will stick with me for life: My mom taught me the difference between a big deal little deal. How to play the glad game. Sometimes you just have to put your big girl panties on and deal with it. Being a witch isn’t always a bad thing. It’s OK to not be OK. She taught me that if you smile a mile it might just trick you into being happy that day. When in doubt, what’s the worst that could happen? If that doesn’t work, just laugh. Sometimes you just need that a couple glasses of wine and good cry. Always volunteer to partner up with the odd man out. Make your own fun. Eat breakfast for dinner. This too shall pass … the list goes on and continues to grow each and every day. I can’t thank her enough for all the things she’s done for me — but I’ll start with thanking her right now for a handful of the things she has taught me that have made me the person I am today.”
— Rebecca Koonce, advertising manager
“My mom has more perspective than any person I’ve ever known, keeping me anchored to my roots when everything seems to be fraying or outright falling apart. She takes life seriously but with a healthy number of deep breaths, an attitude that has taught me be serious about my goals and desires but always to laugh at my mistakes and to say, ‘Oh, that’s interesting’ more often than I say, ‘Wow, why me?’”
— Elizabeth Earl, reporter
“My mother is a home care podiatrist, and the nature of her job puts her in constant close proximity with feet, and some of her patients have disgusting ailments (obviously, that’s why she visits them). All I know is I could never do what she does. Also, she makes the best (really, it’s no contest) Thanksgiving stuffing in the history of mankind. Every family member is sent away with leftovers.”
— Joey Klecka, sports reporter
“The most awesome thing about being a mom is encouraging your children to follow their dreams. Watching them make sacrifices to achieve their dreams. Realizing that they actually made their dreams come true. Could not be prouder. (Never tell them how surprised you are.)”
— Florence Struempler, page designer
With all that said, there’s just one thing left to say: Happy Mother’s Day.
