It's all about MOM!

With Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday, May 14, we thought it would be fitting to invite our readers to share messages for or about their moms! We asked you to tell us what makes your mom special? Is it the way she makes you laugh? The perfect pancakes only she can prepare? The extra hugs she dispenses on days when you’re not feeling your best? As you will see on these pages, some mothers have passed on and others are still with us, but each of them continue to touch the lives of their loved ones in meaningful ways.

Anola deWitt Hogan -Submitted by her daughter, Pat Richards

My mother was a very special lady. She was loved by all who knew her for her kindness, gentle manner and thoughtfulness. Outwardly she was very happy. But she had some unfinished business to attend to. Neither my mom nor my dad was able to finish high school due to family obligations. Dad was a successful businessman and never looked back at his lack of formal education. Mom had gotten as far as junior year when she had to leave high school but was always quietly bothered by not having a high school diploma. She proudly watched both my brother and me graduate high school and then college. One day, when mom was in her mid-60s, she announced that she had decided to get her GED. She studied very hard. She befriended, inspired and mentored many much younger women in her class, and, happily, passed her GED in record time. We were all so proud of her accomplishment! It took a very special woman to work so hard to attain a lifelong goal. Sadly, she died just a couple of years later and her determination to get her GED is a legacy for all of us.

Carrie Lyndrup -Submitted by her husband, Jay Karen, and their children, Marley and Jonah

The full-time dedication of being a mother can sometimes cause a woman to forget who she is beyond just being a mom. I don’t know how she does it, but Carrie has beautifully been mother to Marley and Jonah and maintained an admirable sense of self. By showing our children that she can have deep, meaningful friendships, that she can launch and maintain a successful business, and that she values time away with just Daddy, the kids have an amazing role model. And yet, she is the one in our house who maintains the highest standards and goals for Marley and Jonah. Carrie makes sure they are eating the right foods, brushing their teeth TWICE a day, stretching themselves by learning and growing and always leaving room for affection and love. I don’t know if Carrie feels like she has it all, but she certainly looks like she can do it all. And we are all better off and love her dearly for it.

Mary DeBona -Submitted by her daughter, Mariann Chambers

I have been blessed to have my special mom, Mary DeBona, in my life for 66 years. The simple thing that makes her special is the way she has lived her life with gratitude to God, a smile for everyone, and unconditional love for her family. For my mother the cup has always been overflowing, and she starts every day thanking God for her family, health, and the gift of another day. Even at 93, living in a nursing home with dementia as her daily companion, mom greets people with a smile. Today we often sit together in silence, but when I look at her smiling face my heart fills with joy. She may not remember my visits, but will be heard telling anyone within earshot, “She is my precious daughter.” Mom never forgets to tell me, “I love you more.” I know she has not always agreed with my decisions, but I always knew I had her love. What more can any mother give a child than the example of gratitude for every day, the lesson to smile through life, and her unconditional love. I am grateful that I still have mom to tell me I’m loved.

Shirley Finger -Submitted by her son, Peter Finger

My wonderful mom just celebrated her 90th birthday in March here on Daniel Island. She visits for several months every year in the winter to enjoy the warm weather Daniel Island has to offer. You may have seen her walking in Smythe Park or at the library because she loves to meet people, and she loves books. She also loves the dogs she met on her walks and can tell you the name of every single one. She recently battled a broken hip, spine issues, and even a bout with cancer. Always the fighter and optimist, she is doing very well and never complained about the issues and certain pain she must have endured. She raised five children with endless care and love. My mom loves her 15 grandchildren, 34 great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren. Give her a piece of paper and a few minutes, and she will write down all their names. Mom is the one we have gone to for love and support. She is the mom who always seems to say exactly the right words to put everything into perspective. Everyone who meets my mom, even if just for a few minutes, tells me the same thing: “We love your mom!” Yeah, me too!

Mary Ann Werner -Submitted by her son, Tom Werner

Note: My mother, Mary Ann Werner, passed away earlier this spring with all six of her children gathered together. During her final days, she reflected on her many accomplishments and what she wished she had done differently. Her regrets – though minor in our eyes, reminded us that though she wished she had been a “better mother,” we wished we had been better sons and daughters. I wrote this for her memorial service.

Family and friends are gathered to celebrate a life complete and share with one another stories we oft repeat.

One thought I think, but cannot say, “I wish I was a better son.”

Memories we hold of times so dear - when we were seldom well-behaved. We tell these tales to laughs and cheer, as if time alone will dispensate.

But deep inside that thought persists, “I wish I was a better son.”

For memories have a fickle way of filling to the brim. Contentment then cedes to emptiness, from these thoughts that slither in.

I wish, I wish, I wish, I wish - I wish I was a better son.

Regret, regret, now stay behind - do not follow where you go. Let your deathbed be the resting place of druthers, ifs and woe.

Forgiveness, you asked of me, I know not why. “I wish I was a better son.”

Imperfect you saw your time with us - But that is not the case. For perfect is what we see in you - today and every day. Forgiveness is what you granted me, before you slipped away. but still, but still, but still, but still, I wish I was a better son.