Your Mom’s a rare gem, so why not make her day—and possibly year—with a treasure of her own? We’ve partnered with Brilliant Earth to give away a Grape Garnet and Diamond Pendant Necklace (worth $200) to one lucky reader for Mother’s Day. Set in recycled silver and topped with an ethically sourced garnet and conflict-free Canadian diamond, this luminous number won’t make up for years of diaper explosions, puke projectiles, snotty noses, and five-hour cry-a-thons, but we’ll bet it comes pretty damn close.
TO ENTER THIS FABULOUS GIVEAWAY
1. SIGN UP FOR THE ECOUTERRE NEWSLETTER (This is important because we’ll be announcing our winner there.)
2. LEAVE A COMMENT below telling us how brilliant your Mom is. We’ll pick the response we like the best, so be as detailed and creative as possible!
We’ll pick our favorite comment and announce the winner in our newsletter on Wednesday, April 28. The deadline to enter is 12 midnight ET on Tuesday, May 11, so ENTER NOW for a chance to win!
ABOUT BRILLIANT EARTH
Based in San Francisco, Brilliant Earth is dedicated to tracking its gems to ensure that every single gemstone is mined, cut, and finished in a socially and ethically responsible manner. All of its diamonds come from Canadian mines that follow environmentally sustainable practices. To reduce the need for “dirty” mining, the company uses precious metals that come from secondary sources and are re-refined to ensure they are identical quality to newly mined metals.
My mom is so incredible. I’m always in awe of how unapologetically supportive she is of the ridiculous, random and totally off the wall things I do.
The most recent example was my decision to take my interest in learning to sew to the next level – actually learning to sew. When I bit the bullet and paid for my first sewing class, my mom’s first response was “Well, do you want to make something? Let’s meet at a fabric store after work and get you a pattern and some fabric.” It wasn’t a huge gesture. But it just meant so much to me that she was just so gung ho about yet another of my ridiculous, impulsive decisions. Granted, it has developed into much more, but the gesture was still the same.
My mom is a gem and I can’t wait to spoil her with a handmade, vintage necklace that I found for her!
My mom is so brilliant she raised 3 children all on her own. She sacrificed her time working up to 3 jobs just to support us and she made time to help us with our school projects and even help us get into college.
She has become the matriarch of our extended family, giving advice and lectures to our cousins, she never stops caring about everyone.
My birthstone is garnet, so it would be so nice to give her this pendant so she can always remember the special day in January when we finally met! :)
Hi! My mother has always thought of her children in ways hardly anyone could do. She sacrificed her career at its peak just for the sake of raising her children well. I am happy that both of us (me & my little sis) did not let her sacrifice to waste.
My mom always try to understand the things I am doing & encourages me to be better & better. I become so happy to see her proudly describing her children to her friends.
She never minds a little that being a gold medalist, she gave all her time to us & love us so much that I cant describe.
I love you MOM for being for me all the time when I needed you. You have always been my friend, my guide, my biggest support. Thanks for being my mother. I love you MOM.
My mom homeschooled her 3 children, worked full-time on the evening shift as a nurse, and her thirst for learning has never abated. At 51 she recently received a master of nursing – making us all incredibly proud.
She’s read every poem, including this one I wrote for her a few years ago:
I Learned this from my Mother
Again the unfurling: carmine, coral, azure.
Color so saturated the leaves weigh down,
touch earth, yield fruit.
Again the knife paring, strawberries like
elation sweet in our mouths,
one more season subdued. I learned
to mix sugar, fruit, thicken pectin
in measure, submerge jars, tighten lids, mark
the glass, the pressed down lids.
I learned to right fallen cornstalks
after a storm. The waves of them
out of our hands quaver in the wind,
their smooth joints still beaded with wet,
in their leaves traces of furrows and mud,
the deep of my earth.
It’s true when they say that Moms teach you everything you know! She taught me everything I didn’t WANT to know too (cleaning toilets, taking responsibility, etc.) that all comes in handy when you become an adult! She’s amazing, and why I can be a good mom today. She’s LOVE that necklace too!
My MOM has been always my inspiration, I’m her only girl out of five children and the youngest one, so we are always together.She taught me how to sew gorgeous high fashion garments. Last year almost lost her, but thanks to GOD she’s with me, after that I celebrated her 70 Birthday where I invited her close friends and family it was a surprise for her. Even though I do not have a family of my own, I know that if GOD gave the opportunity to have one someday, I will be like her.
My MOM is the biggest star in the UNIVERSE, the shiniest day ever had, the most beautiful flower in a garden and most important of all MY BEST, BEST, FRIEND, I couldn’t ask for more. I LOVE YOU MOMMY PILAR TILL ETERNITY.
My Mom is the BEST MOM EVER. When She was pregnant with me and doctors said She can’t have me because She may die, She gave me a chance and gave birth to me. I was born with crooked spine which doctors said will just pass(it never does) and my Mom is just paranoid but She didn’t give up and demanded that i would have medical over view and thanks to Her my spine is now just fine :) She raised my brother and me by Herself. She can’t too much, she doesn’t know how to cook or sew or draw or anything but BOY HOW CAN SHE LOVE, Her love makes everything she does good, even her cooking:) She taught me that best gift is LOVE! We once gave her a little pricy gift and She was heart broken that we spent money on Her but She deserves nice things, in fact She deserves the whole world. She always says that everything is possible and we should be what we want to be. I’m almost 23 and i still want to be like her just like when i was 3. SHE IS JUST THE BEST MOMMY EVER
“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” 3 John 1:4. My Mom is my hero. Of all the things she ever did for my sisters and I, the greatest was showing us God’s love. I hope that one day my boys will be able to say the same of me. I love you, Mom!
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When I lived in Alaska as a child there was a little island my parents/grandparents would take us to. It was called garnet ledge where raw garnets were embedded in rocks.
My mother was so cleaver she had the idea to gather the garnets and when the tourist boat stopped we would sell the garnets for money. Well that money paid for a few meals for our family.
To day ever time I see garnets it reminds me of my mother and those struggles to survive.
Thank you for the chance to be a winner.
My mom is so brilliant she would far outshine any jewelry I could give her! My parents got divorced when I was young and she raised me by herself after that. But more than that, I have a number of other people that can vouch for her being the best mommy ever! We called her the “communal mommy” because in middle and high school most of my friends were estranged from their families because we were all gay. Our house became the safe space. We had an extra bedroom where any of them could stay when they needed to, and my mom made sure to go to their events – their plays, concerts, etc – and gave us all coffee in the morning because she works at a coffee house. We all still send her mothers day cards. She’s my hero and my continuing strength!
My mother is sweet, shy, and unassuming, also unexpectedly funny and clever. She has been caretaker of so many, us kids, her father, her siblings, my father, cousins and cousins kids, even my cats. I love her dearly.
My mom is brilliant because she somehow managed to raise two daughters pretty much on her own while being a recovering alcoholic and bipolar. I can’t imagine the strength it took her to be there for us as much as she was and still is. And, all things considered, my sister and I turned out ok thanks to her. :)
My mother must be brillant, because she is 94 years old, and there has never been a person who doesn’t love her.
My mom is so brilliant, she still shines at age 89 after raising 8 kids (I’m the youngest at 52)! Her optimism and enthusiasm for learning throughout her life have helped each of us through the ups and downs. She has survived breast cancer and continues to thrive despite other health issues over the years. She is cheerful and always concerned about others. She reads voraciously, gardens, and cares for animals, always looking for the good and beauty in everything. She deserves beautiful things as sparkling and brilliant as she!
My mother raised me to be self-sufficient and creative. We grew up very remote, far from town and “civilization”. Although I had few playmates, my mother entertained me, reading books with me in the winter, painting our windows with snowmen and snowflakes and cooking big meals. Summertime was spent outdoors, raising a garden, hauling water from the stream and picking wild berries. My mother taught me how to identify wild plants, how to preserve the harvest and how to take care of myself in the woods. She was and is the strongest woman I’ve ever known. I love you mom, you’re the best!
When the apples were 4 and we were 5…my mother said “I don’t like apples”….
Enough said :)
My ma’s a kook. She’s taught me to live, not through anything she’s said but through how she’s lived. We made it through some bad decisions, more than a few spontaneous adventures, and many shifts in fortune. Through it all, she maintained a strong work ethic, a generous spirit and a positive attitude.
Her outgoing nature and off-the-cuff remarks caused us some embarrassment when we were kids, as she was so unlike the other parents. For one thing, she had a Polish accent and used Scottish slang; for another, she liked to show off her athletic body. It was a gift, as it has made us impossible to embarrass as adults! She’s still an original, still rocking a bikini at 65, and still a warm and supportive person in my life unlike any other.
My mom is absolutely the most generous person that I have ever met. She never hesitates to help anyone that may need it and she does it with a smile on her face. She inspires me to want to be a better person and to try to be as giving as she is. She has spent her whole life making the world better for others, and in the process she has sacrified her own needs and desires. She has never treated herself to the things that she deserves. In this rough world, my mom truly is a gem, and she deserves something beautiful for herself.
My mom was the most wonderful person in the world. She passed away when I was 14 but she taught me so much about being the person I am today and I love and thank her for the time I did get to spend with her and what I have learned.
“A Mother’s Love”
There are times when only a Mother’s love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.
There are times when only a Mother’s love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we’ve dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.
There are times when only a Mother’s faith
Can help us on life’s way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.
For a Mother’s heart and a Mother’s faith
And a Mother’s steadfast love
Were fashioned by the Angels
And sent from God above.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY MOM!
This is beautiful & would be lovely on my mama. I think my mom is quite incredible. At 30 yrs old, she left a country she grew up in, moved her family to America. While sacrificing her own comfort, she was learning a new language, new profession, navigating life in a new place…all the while raising two daughters in a way that built in us confidence, inner-beauty and a knowledge that we are loved. We are passing this on to our children now.
We are grateful.
Wow! That’s so beautiful!
My mom will be in the hospital this year over Mother’s Day since she just had surgery. It’s killing me because she’s been the best mom ever and I’d so love to spoil her with this pretty necklace in her favorite color!
Thanks so much for the opportunity!!! I’ve been a long-time subscriber. :)
my mom is brilliant because of her intelligence. She is at the top in field and travels the world sharing/teaching her work.
My Mother lives her life by always doing what is for the greater good, even if it is not popular or puts a burden on herself. She is the ‘golden rule’.
I want to win this earth necklace for my daughter who is a new mother. She had one miscarriage and five month later was blessed to be pregnant again. After going through 12 hours of labor and at 10 centimeters was rushed in for an emergency C-section and she felt the scapple cut because he was being strangled by the umbilical cord and the spinal did not have time to work. My grandson will be two-months-old on May 7 and my daughter is just the delighted that all came out well in her delivery. This gorgeous necklace would be mine Mother’s Day gift to my daughter.
Growing up in the fashion-conscious south, she would wear her Birkenstocks to Garden Club, while the other women were dressed to the nines. My mother has never subscribed to norms which has taught me I can always be exactly who I am. She’s a simple down to earth, yet classy woman, and this necklace is as well.
My mom is brilliant in pretty much every way possible. She’s like an ultra-nice version of Martha Stewart: able to do basically any DIY project, from fixing plumbing to baking a pie. My friends call her for advice. She’s brilliant at intellectual pursuits, and able to explain the complexities of current political news. Most importantly, she’s brilliant with people. If anyone needs someone to listen– and I often do– she’s there, as long as you need her. She thinks the best of everyone and has the kindest heart.
Her birthday’s in January, so the Brilliant Earth necklace would be perfect for her!
My mom is brilliant simply because she’s my mom. But what makes her sparkle ever so special is that she loves me for who I am, not what I look like (which can sometimes be a mess) or what I have (or haven’t) accomplished. She appreciates me for me, and I cherish that.
She instilled a sparkle in me by overcoming her circumstances. Moving to a new country at 30 with 2 daughters. Learning a new language, new career, sacrificing all the while so we could have a new life. She instilled a confidence, inner beauty and a sense of positivity in life that has given us a beautiful existence.
We are now passing this on to our own children. We are grateful.
Garnets are one of the earliest gemstones used by humans because unlike many other gems they need no polishing; they shine on their own.
My mom is like a garnet — she came from a foreign country on her own, went to law school, worked hard to build a career, left it to raise me and my brother, helped my father to build a practice of their own. She’s been the rock in our lives, a constant source of strength and inspiration. She pushes us hard every day to become better, to become stronger, to give more.
My mom is the person who has taught us to care about the Earth, to be conscious of how our decisions effect the world around us, and to be better people, whether it’s through little acts like composting or bigger acts like choosing to only use public transportation and to not own a car. She leads the way and she shows us that every act matters.
This Mother’s Day, I would love to give her this necklace as just a small token of how much she means to me.
My mom is not only brillant but has shown me we can make it. Hard to explain but she went through alot and through her talks and encouragement I was able to get a fresh start on life free of pain and abuse. Without her words i would have been afraid to be free, or have faith and she gave me that faith and that courage to stand strong and be a survivor. Thanks mom for reminding me I still need you even as old as I am.
The most brilliant thing about my mother:
She didn’t know everything, but she taught me everything she did know and let me keep going from there.
She taught me…
…to have an open mind.
…to respect nature.
…that education is power.
…to be in a relationship because you want to be, not because you have to be.
…that there are mysteries greater than we can comprehend, but it’s good to contemplate them.
…that the best way to have a friend is to be a friend.
…and that there is nothing quite as sweet as knowing you did something all by yourself!
My mother is an incredible woman. After my father passed away, she set aside her grief for the only man she has ever loved, and went to work. She raised five of us alone, without any assistance from any social programs.
My mother has taught all five of us the importance of a post secondary education, at a time when first nations women stayed home and tended to the family. My mother instilled a desire to become lifelong learners in all of us.
She taught me how to sew, make soap, remake clothing, and how to live frugally. Even though I have a fairly high paying job, I still go to second stores for my clothing and household items, remake clothing, make my own clothing, make soap, pick my own herbs and dry them, make 90% of my gifts and cook from scratch.
My mother has taught all five of us many many useful living tips and skills. I am lucky to be one of her daughters.
My wonderful mum, Miriam, is my inspiration. truly. for serious. She is amazing and THE RAREST GEM in the world. She personifies this garnet is every way: through her strength, brilliance, beauty, connection to all around her, and her effort to always positively enhance her surroundings. I have never met a person who is so hard-working, loving & open-hearted, giving, patient, gentle, kind, and without a cruel bone in her body.
She raised my siblings & I as a single-mum while going to school and maintaining multiple jobs…and I mean multiple! When she wasn’t babysitting a horde of kids (many playmates for me!), she was studying, working in an office job, going back to this office as the night cleaning crew with us in tow, stuffing envelopes for various marketing companies, and selling educational kids’ toys at swap meets.
On top of all of this, she volunteered when she could. It wasn’t until I was older, did I realize that many of the people in my life were in it because of my mum’s volunteer work (especially Meals-on-Wheels). I have so many memories of visiting people I thought were family members (and in many ways they were). She has always encouraged us to give back to our community- locally & globally; a lesson that I continue to cherish and make an effort to live daily.
I have always been inspired by my mum’s ability to see the good in everyone and in every situation. She is such a positive, selfless person who seems to just give & give & give.
My mum never asks for much of anyone, but has always had high hopes for her kids and trusted our choices. Her method of modeling positive living was brilliant. I never felt pressure from her to do or not do anything; she just wanted us to be happy and think outside ourselves. I made healthy choices not because the opposite was “forbidden”, but because I respected my mum and all she did for us and those around her. I am truly proud and ever-fortunate to call her my mum. To have the pleasure of giving her such a gift as this beautiful garnet, forged by the earth just for her, would be such a blessing.
My wife is a great mother to our son, and a great wife to me. She has been ever so patient with us boys, doing what boys do. She been so understanding, forgiving us for our mistakes then and now. She has been a loving wife, and mother. She has been so caring to us, cooking food, washing clothes, doing the dishes, and taking care of us when we get sick. I firmly believe in our son’s eyes, she is a super woman.
My mother is brilliant, not because of the wonderful life she gave to me and my three brothers, but that she adopted my little sister when we were all at least 10 years removed from diapers. She took in Jessica and made her part of our family when I was 14. Then as if that wasn’t enough, she became a foster parent to up to five troubled girls and boys at a time from the time I was 20 until I turned 30. When my dad retired and they moved to Florida my Mom went back to school and got her degree at age 55 in social work. She now works as a child protective services case administrator for the state of Texas. Her job is now reuniting families once the birth parents are able to resume parenting. She works with my twin brother who is a child protective services investigator. If life were truly fair she would be getting a pendant with a birth stone of every month of the children’s life she has touched and improved. The fact that this pendant is a garnet is also very fitting since it is the birth stone of my twin and me (her oldest children). She is a very special lady that has made helping children in the worst circumstances and improving their lives her life’s work.
I am the oldest of three girls…Mom didn’t really know what she was doing when she was raising me, so of course,there were a few rough moments when I was young, moments that still hurt a little even now. But my mom has made up for those moments a million times over. She truly is the best mom ever!
She has been my teacher, my best friend, and I can only aspire to be like her. She is wonderful. Working moms deserve respect, but my Mom being at home has been such a blessing. With my Dad working constantly, she was, many times, the only person to turn to with our problems, from scrapes and bruises to insecurities to crazy hormones.
For those who read the Bible, I will share that to me, she is the ideal Proverbs 31 woman! No seriously…Old fashioned as it is. Some women probably don’t like that description, it even irks me a little bit; the almost servant-like, submissive woman. But Mom has lived her life by the Bible, and she is always joyful to hear that she is living up to it, so I try to remind her that she is whenever possible.
She’s so incredibly humble, so hardworking. She puts us before her own wants. I try to do the same, though I know I often fail. I try to show her how much I do appreciate everything she does, but I should still say it more often. So here, I declare it to the world! My Mom is the best Mom EVER!!!!! This beautiful necklace would only enhance the
gorgeous person she really truly is!
katrinawins1@gmail.com
although words cannot withstand and express what i wish 2 say about my mom but i only say that she is great,,,,,,,and give me the idea that what s love and what is greatnesssssss,may she live 2 that time when i will able 2 response,,,,,
My mother is brilliant in the learn-ed sense of the word: She can recite from Thomas Mann’s “Magic Mountain” (me, I never read this through and through although I carried a worn copy to me to and from the beach for 2 lonely summers); She’d tell her community college English class that Romeo and Juliet was about the finality of first love, that Shakespeare was saying that your life is essentially over if your very first love is — and she’d get her mostly Chicano class to watch Zefferelli’s film version. Then, she’d show them West Side Story, telling them that’s why Shakespeare was a master: he essentially stole everyone’s story.
But as you can guess, I’m going to tell you her learning is not why she’s really brilliant. She just told me that she’s recently felt terrible, sad, that her body wants to sleep: that it’s shutting down, making her want to sleep. She says that this is okay because then she will better. She will feel like herself again, and astonish her friends and family with all the things she can do at 87. Until the next time she feels this way, which will come at a shorter time than the last time, she says. She says that probably these swings of feeling like she’s failing and sick will come with shorter intervals. She is saying that she knows what’s coming. And I’ll want to say to her is that she’s lived through ending her first love, that she’s raised kids, that she’s had a successful career, in fact a few. She is brilliant and a gem because she knows this, and instead of fear, she strikes one for life, and passes on what she knows.
My mom has always been incredibly supportive to my brother & myself. Even though we where not rich, we almost always received what we wanted & our friends often came with us on our vacations…My mom is one of the most generous people I know!
My mother deserves a special gift. She has been taking care of my father who has unfortunately been diagnosed with a miriad of ailments from dementia and prostrate cancer to needing a heart valve replaced. Caring for her mate keeps her busy for most hours of the day and she often misses her opportunity to visit with friends and decompress. This Mother’s Day, she will have bandages on her nose (from recent and sucessful removal of Malenoma), a husband in the Hospital recovering from yet another surgery, and her youngest daughter unable to visit because of contracting the MRSA virus. But, no matter how difficult things may be, we continue to talk and giggle over the phone over silly happenings. Brilliant can sometimes be the ease of looking at the bright side of life, and sharing your love with others.
My mom is the posterchild for grace under pressure. Her unwavering faith in the greatest of adversities is one of her most admirable traits. She made so many sacrifices for the family, but we never knew that we had to do without because she was so creative with what few resources she had. Mom took such pride in being a housewife that when we had to fill out forms and state her occupation, she always had us write “Domestic Engineer.” A true Domestic Goddess. Love her so much!
My mom is the best! She always has my back and supports me. She recently just went vegan (I’m vegan) so now we are finding new recipes and trying foods together. I’m making her evgan cinnamon rolls on Mothers Day :). And she would look gorgeous in this necklace!
My mom has stimulated my creativity and learning ever since I was little, and I appreciate she has made me who I am today! I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks mama!
i’m in such awe of the amazing mother’s i have just read about in the above entry’s. we are so lucky. mother’s really make the world go around.
my mother is truly brilliant as well. she grew up in the former solviet union. came to this country when she was 19 not speaking a word of english. two years later she was accepted into medical school on a full ride–which she completed in three years. she dedicated her life to children–and has been a pediatrician in the south bronx for the last 35 years. she is mother to all her patients–giving endless hours because she is a mother through and through…..
My mother is brilliant because she not only taught my two brothers, my sister, and myself how to live thoughtfully and well; she lives well herself.
My mother took ten years off of work as a healthcare executive in order to try a different lifestyle. She home-schooled my older brother and me, gardened, helped to build a house nearly from scratch, but when things became tight and it wasn’t clear how we were going to get by she didn’t hesitate to go back to the workplace. She also wasn’t content to just stand by and take what came. She worked full time, and got her masters degree while my siblings and I were all still in school. She and my father divorced around that time as well.
My mom never gives up. Despite having her own difficult parents and crazy siblings, despite having a crazy household of children, despite often being everyone’s go-to person when they have a problem or need advice she not only carves out the time to do her job admirably, to parent us all lovingly, to take care of our extended family, but also to draw the line and just take time for herself on occasion. Her definition of enough, and how an ordinary person would define it may be a little different however, and I think any opportunity to spoil her is a good one.
For me, my mom is not only a person worthy of admiration, but also of imitation. She’s a wonderful role model. To be able to treat her to something beyond the range of my college student budget would be a dream come true.
My dad passed away when I was 6 months old, so as well as looking after me, my mum went to night school to learn about these new things called computers; a world away from her masters degree in French literature and her background in teaching languages. She worked full time so I never went without and I even attended a private high school. Beginning towards the end of her career as a Systems Analyst, mum became involved in charity work. She is a committee member of Vision Australia (formerly Royal Blind Foundation), Soroptomists International (Redlands District), Blind Citizens Australia (Brisbane Branch) and other groups, including a local theatre group to which I belonged. It is by her example that I endeavour to be a generous, hard working, compassionate person.
She has been fully vision impaired since she was two and I only have vision in one eye from birth. We both had Retino Blastoma.
My mom is so brilliant, that in the evenings rather than turn on a light we call her into the room. My mom is so brilliant, that when she walks under a street light the lamp dims out of respect.
My mom is so brilliant, that she can power up electronics without batteries just by holding them.
My mom is so brilliant, that this necklace will shine like a beacon as her glow infuses it.
We become better people through learning, and we learn by doing and by failing. My mom let me fail. And because she isn’t perfect, she made a lot of mistakes along the way and I watched her pick it all back up and try again. Growing up is work. A mother’s job is to prepare her child for life in the great big world, and that world isn’t always a nice place. I learned a lot from failure – mine and hers. Mom made sure I had the things I needed, and she made sure I was safe, but above all else, mom made sure I was learning how to be a good human and how to (and sometimes how not to) one day be the mom.
Mom’s inspiration is ceaseless – As the only college grad in her family, she started and ran her own small business even as she and my dad raised my brother and me with integrity & affection. She then sold that business and moved me & my bro cross-country on her own after my parent’s divorce. From FL to CA in one swoop wasn’t enough for her new, single mom-status: She transitioned from small business into a corp career as a senior level trainer at a mega-corp in Silicon Valley during the boom and succeeded in a whole new way of life.
When her life took an irreversible & agonizing turn as she was utterly debilitated by a multi-systemic illness that has no cure and put her in a wheelchair over a decade and a half ago –
1st, she tried to beat the odds;
2nd, she moved through the despair of learning that a class action lawsuit against the company whose furniture polish she’d been using regularly in the months just before the illness began revealed that the company had known of the potential life-crippling effects of exposure to one of their polish’s ingredients but took no action to remove it from their (many) products;
3rd – and most inspiring of all, maybe – upon accepting (in year 9) that she may not recover the physically active life she’d lead, Mom found that there were other catastrophic and even terminal diseases that had a scientifically grounded, alternative cure protocol and became the moderator of an online site for those people and their relatives. She’s run that website for over five years and hundreds of people worldwide have cheated death and regained their health because of her delight in and dedication to a little-known cure I know she must wish could work to end her disease, too. She runs this site from her bed in a small, sunny apartment she can rarely leave.
My God, as I write this, it’s like tracking the journey of a nearly fictional heroine whose courage carries the power to move us all to meet our greatest potential….and so many of the stories here are profiles of equal inspiration.
Motherhood is a thing my Mom felt was sacred from the start.
And really, it’s her consistent display of those things that Great Moms do but aren’t so epic that make her my truest friend and inspiration – her smile amidst tears, her insistent optimism resurfacing after bouts with Life’s overwhelming demands, her ability to laugh and be silly, even find community in playful fads (yep, she’s a Twihard at present)…I love her for reasons I might never tell here. But these are a few that I feel make her truly brilliant.
Thanks!
My mom is brilliant because she tells me she is. Then she does the “I was right” dance from Will & Grace. Really. She is a cuckoo bird, but I love her.
All Moms are Brilliant!
All Moms are Special!
ALL Moms are Loving!
ALL Moms are Awesome!
ALL Moms aew Kind!
Are Moms are Giving!
My Mom is Brilliant because she LOVES ME and has taught me to go out there and try My Best to make a difference in this BIG Wide Wonderful World!
HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO ALL THE BRILLIANT MOMS OUT THERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE HARDEST JOB IN THE WORLD!
my mom is the best. she has always put her kids before herself. we didn’t have much money, but we always had a home, food, clothes and lots of hugs. we had lots of friends that came in/out of our house. we got to play lots of sports and mom and dad were always at our games. mom would clean our cuts and put band aids while we elaborated about how we caught that line drive ball, or dunked the basket ball. my fondest memories are of playing in the rain and coming inside to sit on the old yellow rocking chair. she would bundle me up in a blanket fresh out of the dryer and make me hot chocolate w/marshmellows and hot buttered toast. then we’d watch cartoons. i love her!!
My mom instilled in me a love of learning, of books, of language, and of life. With each year, I think we grow closer and I appreciate her more. Our relationship makes me want to have children; I don’t want to miss out on the type of relationship that I cherish with my own mother when I am her age. She is smart, loving, funny, and overall, just amazing. I shall never concede to her in our ongoing Scrabble competition, and hope that it continues forever. Love you Mom!
My mom has been so great. I grew up with Rheumatoid arthritis since age 2 (I’m now 36). She left her job to care for me full time; to take me to Physio 4 times a week, to water therapy, to Drs. She cut my food, fed me if I was unable, helped me walk, even stayed up with me all night if I couldn’t sleep. Now she too has Rheumatoid Arthritis and I would love to be able to do for her what she did for me but I am too disabled to help her. I would love to win this necklace for her!
Mad (in a fun way) Magnetic Maternal Magical Majestic
Overjoyed (the)One Outrageous Optimistic Outwit Otherwise Ours
Mature Memorable Merry Mighty Mentor Mine Modern Mysterious
MOTHER MOM MUM
My Mom and I didn’t have a great relationship when I was younger probably due to the fact that she was in the U.S. working as a nurse to support us while my Dad, brother and I were in the Philippines. My Dad died when I was 7, my brother 5, just before our visas were approved to come join my mom here. Anyway, I was mad at the world and blamed my mom for my dad’s death, but she never turned her back on me regardless of how hateful I was towards her. She always let me know that I was loved and will always be her daughter regardless of how much I pushed her away.
Besides raising my brother and I very well, and putting us through private school without any help, she also helped the rest of our family back in the Philippines and never turned anyone away who needed help. I use to get mad at her because she would freely help anyone even when they were ungrateful but she would always just say “I can’t say no to people that need help.” I didn’t have much respect for my mom growing up because I didn’t know or understand her, but as I got older I learned more about the struggles she has faced to make a better life not just for herself, but for the rest of the family, and I’ve also gotten to know the person that she is and I’ve grown to appreciate her much more than I would have ever thought. She has become my best friend and just by being who she is, she makes me believe in myself. Her selflessness, generosity, courage, strength, faith, sense of humor and no-nonsense approach are truly inspirational. Even today when the doctor told her she has thyroid carcinoma, she showed amazing strength. I was in tears and she was the one comforting me and reassuring me that she would be okay. She gives so much to other people and never expects anything back except for maybe a simple thank you. She is an amazing person and if I were better off I would ask her to retire and just go do things she would never do for herself.
Besides that I’ve just recently found out that she can shoot hoops! Check her out! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg_swF-QrRE
My mom is brilliant because even though she married young and was pregnant during university, she kept on studying and graduated with honors. However, she sacrificed her career to take care of her first, and then she had 6 more babies! She instilled in us all good values since young and everything we love to do is because of her. Everything we do daily is with her in mind, to make her proud of us. She never failed to pamper us with love and affection, and we will forever take care of her like she did for us. I love her! She’s a gem that is always shining!
My mom is brilliant because she raised 4 children on her own while working at a time when very few women were in the workforce. She sacrificed 10 years of her life to taking care of her dying mother and then 16 more taking care of her daughter and 3 grandchildren. She gave up everything for her family, to the point of selling off family heirlooms to help support them. She’ll always be a hero to me, more brilliant than the brightest star in the sky.
My mom didn’t home school five kids, or take a million jobs and never ever complain. She’s as nuts and off the wall as ex-hippies tend to be (Don’t tell her I said that), but she’d my best friend and our family would be lost without her. She is the cornerstone of our household and nothing gets done without her knowledge. She’s smart and funny (Which you also didn’t hear from me) and kind and forgiving of her screw-up of a daughter and nobody deserves this beautiful necklace more. I love her even if I don’t always like her and I know she’ll support me even if I have to live in her basement as a penniless writer for the rest of my life. She’s one in a million.
My mother is brilliant because in addition to raising her own natural son and daughter she adopted four more (3 sons and a daughter), the last, myself, at age 16. All of us are within 5 years of age. Can you imagine trying to raise, feed and clothe 6 teenagers? In addition to this, numerous foster children also stayed at our house some for quite lenghty stays. I, myself, started off as a foster child in the home.
I once read something similar to this; The brightest, most brilliant star need not be pointed out, it will shine so brightly that all will take notice.
My mother was that brilliant star, quietly she shone above all the other mothers. She’s been gone for 11 years now and still, she shines. How appropriate to consider the “brilliance” of my mother this Mothers Day. While others are out and about with their mom, I will quietly reflect upon all my mother gave and did for us. I will dance and I will sing in my heart, because that is where her brilliance shone.
One of the most important lessons she taught me was to search for the brilliance in others. Everyone has something good, something shining inside and it’s our job to find that. I will Mom, I will.
The best of the best mothers ever! It could be said so much about her but I will stay with the BEST Mother in the whole world and even if she lives 2000 km away from me I love her so much :)
It began in little room
In shone the light of the new moon.
The child, she slept,
and in mom crept
To cradle and hold
treasure greater than gold.
Each night she held, each night she sung
a sweeter song no one dreamed of.
The girl drank in the melody
and as she grew she came to be
Of life, of health, vitality
blossoming beauty, purity.
On her mind, the sweet song plays
the moon streams in; she kneels and prays
That she may grow to love her own
with great a love her mom had sown.
My mom radiates brilliance, in all that she is and all that she does: she is perfect love; she is my guardian angel.
It is said that the glow of a dark red garnet guided Noah & helped him find his way through the flood. And, just as the garnet guided Noah, my mother has guided me all throughout my life.
Its rich & deep red color symbolizes the love I have for her. She is my garnet, my gem.
My mom has been gone for over 20 years but she is still a brilliant star in my heart and mind. She continues to be a role model that I look up to and aspire to be. She was a phenomenal mother, wife, and co-worker.
She helped numerous kids as a learning disability specialist and instilled in me the need to help others and champion the causes of the equal rights of all.
She taught her kids to aspire to their personal best. I try to teach these learnings to my children. My one regret is that she never had a chance to meet my boys and they never had an opportunity to know their grandmother – a phenomenal woman.
I love you mom!
My mom is resplendent, yet so down to earth. Through three organ transplants and a host of other health challenges, she has always been a super-involved, volunteering, put-my-family-first kind of mom. She gives to her family and others before she gives to herself. And, through it all, she remains strong (and healthy). I only hope I can be as selfless and inspiring as she has been to my sister and I. I love you Mom!
I wish I’ve been a better son for her…I wish I could change her life so she would never worry about anything; what she did for me when I was young…
My mom is only my mom, I LOVE MY MOM.
As cliché as it may sound, my Momma is my best friend. I can honestly talk to her about everything. I’m sure she may not always want to hear the gritty details of my life, yet she never leads me to believe that I cannot confide in her. My fundamental childhood years consisted mainly of her and me. She raised me in such a way that I feel she should write a book on parenting. Although she was nineteen when she had me, she was wise when it came to teaching me about values and beliefs. If I asked her about anything involving an opinion (i.e. religion, music, politics, etc.) she would always give me all the alternative sides before relinquishing her personal beliefs. When it came to music, we’d rock out to B.B. King’s Blues Summit album, but when we cleaned it was always Dead Can Dance with incense burning. A young child couldn’t ask for anything better than DCD while doing chores. Honestly.
When she met my Dad, our family was complete and I was blessed with two spastic, awesomely opinionated siblings that happen to be freakishly smart and witty. My Momma allowed me to be in the room when she gave birth, which was the most mind altering/ beautiful experience ever.
Now, in little more than a month, my Momma, Dad, and siblings are all moving to the other side of the world. I will no longer be able to pick up the phone on a daily basis and chit-chat with my best friend. For a 21 year old, that is pretty devastating. I love my Mom and I will miss her something terrible. I was born in January and it would be nice for her to be able to wear something that would remind her of me while she is exploring her new life.
Thank you for your consideration.
Even in her retirement, my Mom continues to give her gifts to the community. After 25 years of teaching first grade Mom retired and immediately signed up to volunteer with Literacy Volunteers, the Veterans Book Collection and the library at her church. She is an avid reader and continues to teach and advocate for literacy for people of all ages. Mom even says that one of her favorite things in life is when she is able to match a person with a book that they will love. My Mom is such an inspiration to me and I so admire how she acts on beliefs.
My mom is indeed a gem. A woman married at a young age and left with four children to raise on her own- she deserves something special. Although the youngest duck is now in High School, my mom continues to instill beautiful ethics into all of her children and has also given us the freedom to express ourselves and embrace our uniqueness. Because of her open-mindedness and her inspirations, two years ago I became very aware of the importance that eco fashion and sustainable goods and products and how important they are to adjusting our economic state in a positive way. I give my mom some fashion green tips whenever I talk to her, in which she appreciates but is reluctant to take due to the location in which she lives and the unavailability of eco-products in that area (in addition to her not being raised in the age of the internet) . I would love for her to be able to have something such as this gem so that will motivate her to make a stronger search for sustainable/ethical items and thus begin her collection as an ethical consumer.
AND her favorite color is purple :)
I wish I could say I had a great mother like all the other people who wrote about their moms. Unfortunately my mother was an abusive mother. Physically, mentally and emotionally. She took out her anger on me whenever it suit her. I have many scars to prove it. I was able to get away from her at the age of 20.Needless to say I never spoke to her again. I now have 2 wonderful son’s whom I’m very proud of. Sorry my article isn’t as nice as the rest. May all of you have a great Mothers Day.
My Mom is brilliant when it comes to lying! Let me explain…she has Alzheimer’s and because she’s never quite sure what the correct answer is, she makes up the most amazing lies!! We aren’t into the horrible, negative, accusing stage yet, so right now we still think it’s amusing, but know it soon won’t be.
She used to be brilliant in how to run a household with 3 rambunctious kids and keep everyone healthy, happy, active, well fed (except that darn salmon loaf with the bones in it!). She even had time for her one soap opera and getting her hair done every couple weeks! We miss this mom.
My mom is an emergency room nurse – a profession that I could never imagine doing. She takes care of people when they are their most vulnerable, and she still manages to have a good attitude at the end of the day.
My mom, Nancy Diaz, is my inspiration and my friend. She is loving, warm and passionate. She was a child of divorce, then lived through 10 horrifying years of child sexual abuse at a time in our history when counseling was unavailable. Still, she toughed it out. She has been married 45 years, raised 4 kids and is now inspiring a new generation of grandchildren. She has taught me tolerance and the importance of family. My hope is to be as great a mother to my own children. Love you Mom, and Happy Mother’s Day!
There is no one like my brilliant and compassionate Mother!
My mom raised 6 kids and never seemed to run out of energy. I am always tired, so I think that is amazing. She also taught us the value of good nutrition, a good education and being friendly. The things that moms are supposed to teach.
My mom is your typical 50 year old crazy catholic Spanish mother. Without her the world that I’ve come to know and love wouldn’t function properly. She’s the kinda person that has designated cleaning duties and church is a must, unless you’ve cut off an arm and are bleeding to death.. but only on extreme cases like that. My mom has been with my dad for 30 years and you couldn’t find a cheesier happy couple than them. My mom is the kinda woman that holds huge dinner parties with way too much food, salsa dancing and old ladies gossiping as if they were 13 year old girls. I think my favorite thing about my mother is that, no matter how ridiculous she is, or how when she means clean the dust around the house she really does want you to take all the books out of the bookshelf and clean behind them, is that no matter what, she’s the most supportive and loving person I know. And even though she’ll always try to get me to eat meat even though I’ve been a vegetarian for 5 years, I know she only means well.
I never knew what it meant to be a Mom, until last year when I became a Mom to my beautiful baby boy. This has made me appreciate my Mom even more! Everything my Mom does radiates brilliance. Through her own example, she has given me the confidence to be the person that I am today. She always has a positive attitude towards life, which has taught me that attitude is everything. My mom is always there for me, rain or shine. She is my strength when I need it and best of all, my friend. If I have grown up to be anything like my Mom, I couldn’t strive for anything more. My Mom rocks!!!!!
My mother is a true gem. She is brilliant – she always knew all the answers to any question showing a wisdom that goes beyond the norm. She shines and sparkles – she has a warmth to her that makes people feel at ease, her presence makes you feel welcome. She is rare – there is nobody else like her on earth! She has a multi-faceted personality – she is able to adapt to any situation and enjoy herself in a variety of settings. Whenever I have been upset or stressed, she has helped me see my world with new clarity. She is more precious to me than any diamond, any ruby, any pearl, that’s my girl!
My mom is too brilliant for words. She’s stronger than diamond and far more beautiful. She taught me to be kind to the world by taking in baby birds and bunnies who’d lost their own moms. She’s never given up on anyone, even when they’ve deserved it. Wish I could visit her for Mother’s Day and tell her how fantastic she is in person!
How brilliant is it when seeing her two hungry daughters confronted with one last piece of cake, to make the solution a breeze?
“One of you will cut the cake and the other gets first pick.”
Oh how I despised her brilliance then.
The only true test of brilliance is two daughters, one piece of cake, and a solution.
My mom is so brilliant! She raised my brother and I by herself, while working as a nurse. She worked her butt off to give us everything we needed (and alot of stuff we just wanted)! She was always there for us, from handmaking a caterpillar halloween costume to our first heartbreak! She has always provided a shoulder to cry on or a swift kick to our butyts, depending on what the situation called for. I could not have asked for a better mother. She was my inspiration for becoming a nurse! She helped me make it through nursing school and helped me pass the state boards and get my nursing liscense! I only hope to live up to the examples she set and someday be as amazing a woman and nurse as she is!
How brilliant is my mom? Well, aside from the fact that she taught me nearly everything valuable that I know today, she raised 13 kids. My Father lost his first wife and had 5 kids, she had her 3 and an ex husband and decided they needed to help each other. They ended up having me and 4 more kids, 2 of which were twins. The last 2 kids she had after age 40. While we were still young she was caring for working families’ kids during the day as well. Can you say houseful? Later she went back to college (with ADD and Dyslexia) and became a pre-school teacher. Even years later, she loves her kids so much that she always has an open door to her children. After divorcing my first husband she took me in like I’d never left (but treated me as an adult). Today, she has 2 of my sisters and my younger brother living at home, all over the age of 21 and is one of my sister’s nanny as well. She is a natural mother. I have never doubted her advice especially about running a house and kids. She is a natural mother. I couldn’t have asked for a greater teacher, friend and most of all mother! If I win she is totally getting the necklace, she deserve it and much more plus she loves purple! If I don’t win at least I got to tell all of you how brilliant MY mom is and how much I love her! I love you mom!!!
My mom is really my guide in life. She’s so brilliant because she has an incredible sense of independence, energy, total health, she doesn’t believe in limits or limitation, very hard-working. She has take care of us (my brother and i) as a single mother, coming herself from a single mother in a very poor family. She has some things to forget about my dad, but she doesn’t stop because of that, she took over and got up, and now she’s a brilliant respectable lawyer star with a very good income, adult and successful family, and going for more! she never will retire, she is always happy and in good spirits and her story after 63 years goes on!
Me: Mum, here’s a game to win a Garnet-and-Diamond Necklace!
Mum: Really? Oh my dear, add oil! Try your best to get it… for me — such an elegant woman!
Me: It’s actually a gift for Mother’s Day.
Mum: Wow, perfect! Let’s see how much you love your mother! Remember, my neck is right here waiting for you!!
Me: Mum, there’re already 86 and will be more competitors later struggling for it. Any suggestion or trick?
Mum: Why not telling them what we discussed. Honest is always the first and best way.
Me: OK, Mum, good idea. You can always surprise me. I love you, Mum!
Mum: I love you, too, Dear! But do remember, you owe me a necklace. Ha ha ~~~
Me: ……
My mom means the world. She has been on her own since she was 16 years old. By that age she had her own house and was supporting me. I had to learn to do this quick when I was young. 21 years later, my mom never stopped working. Now she works two jobs for 18 hours a day, 7 days a week just to support me through school and to have things that we couldn’t have before. Also for 20 years I had an abusive father and she never let him hit me. My mom is the best because she never gave up on me even through the worst. The crazy thing is that my mom had heart surgery and still went to work the next day and she has spinalproblems and still gets up for work everyday. How many women can you tell me have done that?
My mother is the kind of crazy diamond that Pink Floyd sang about. She shone brightly as a child in the 60s, as a rebellious teenager in the 70s, as a beautiful young woman in the early 80s and as a nervous new mom in the late 80s, she continued to sparkle and shine as an amazing mom through my childhood in the 90s, and she shone like the greatest confidant and friend of mine in the 2000s, and she will continue to shine on in my life as my mother, my friend and my equal. My mother will always be the shiniest, craziest diamond in my life, and in my memory and my actions, she will continue to shine on forever. Happy mother’s day, Mom. <3
My mom is the best!! She raised me and my twin brother and sister by herself and did her best to bring us up with good morals!! She is an amazing women!! Last month she had a heart attack and she though she would not make it though her quad bypass but shes such a stong women and pulled through with flying colors!! This mothers we are just to blessed to have her with us!! Love you mom!! oxoxo
I remember I always thought that mommy was a superwoman. Everything she said, she did is always right. She taught me to be a grown-up, she canned me a lot with rattan, belt and other violent weapons when I was that notorious. We quarreled, we had cold war, we had tears, we had heartbreaking times. But she still loves me. I still love her. She is really that brilliant!
I lost my Mom almost 28 years ago, but she lives on in my heart and in my soul. She was an incredible woman. I remember how she built a flagstone patio all on her own one week when I was about 3 years old. My Mom stood up for what she believed in, and had no qualms about writing to the mayor. She raised us to never judge others. My Mom taught me to knit and to sew. She did needlepoint – her own designs. I like to think that she would be proud of my accomplishments, and wish she was here today to know her grandchildren.
Thank you for the chance to write a little bit about my Mom.
So, lots of competition..
My mom, hmm.. What to say about her, pretty dificult actually. I don’t think my mom is really great at all of the things she has learned me, more than enough, but not really great. She went to something we know as ‘kostschool’, that’s where you spend your week at college and only come home for the weekends.. So, she really doesn’t know how to do it. But, well, that’s no big problem actually, she’s great in all of the little stuff, like re-scheduling my dentist appointments and cooking some (great) dinner.
Dispite the fact that my mom might not be the greatest in everything, she most certainly is the most dedicated…
A diamond in the rough. That’s my mom. She tirelessly works a factory shift job lifting heavy steel parts as a petite and nearly retired woman. Her co-workers are men in their 20′s and 30′s. And, before or after her shift she works in a restaurant! All this with a smile and never complains about the work or how it may physically affect her. Her life has never been easy, yet she’s there for us anytime and for anything. I love my mom. She is a treasured family jewel.
My mom was brilliant because she was kind and compassionate to everyone. She was loving and giving of her time and her energy. She was hardworking and always put her children before everything else. People like her are very rare nowadays.
All I have in my life is my mother and I never really got her anything nice so this would be a perfect time to show her how much I love her. My mom has works for 22 years straight and never took a vacation. She works hard to give us everything we need. She taught me to be independent ever since I was a kid. I love her with all my heart.
My mom is the most amazing and brilliant woman I have ever known. She was on her own from age 16 as her mother passed away, her older sister had just gotten married and took their seven year old brother to live with her and her husband, and their father, who was career Coast Guard was away at sea. Marilyn, my mom, worked and finished high school while living in a boarding house of young women. This was in Seattle WA in 1942, so she learned how to cook as well as save money by being thrifty and reusing everything from jars to tin foil, her generation being the frontrunners of the current environmentalists.
Mom worked fulltime until she had me, and my brother, sister and myself consider ourselves very fortunate to have had her there after school, with homemade cookies and an always homemade dinner, no pre-made TV dinners in our house which more thrifty as far as she was concerned! She was always around to help with homework, did all the laundry, cleaned the house, all we had to do was keep our rooms tidy.
My parents are both 81 now and I can tell you that I am almost in tears now because I am so blessed to call Marilyn “Mom”. We celebrated with the nicest dinner tonight, of which she would let neither Dad or I help saying it was “just easier if I do it”! Oh and she was born in January and her birthstone is a garnet so I think it would be wonderful if she were to the receive the necklace.
My mom is great. As I grow I have learned that the little things that once made me blush, or hide under a rock are the things I love the most. My mother, a widow, with five children has always been creative and zany. She is always giving herself over to her children. I know that we have had our battles but her strength and courage inspires me so.
When I was 14, my mother was pregnant with my baby brother – it was Memorial day 2001 when my father died unexpectedly, at the age of 38. She was strong not only for her 4 children ranging in age from 3 – 14 but also for the unborn child she would have to wait 4 months for. I hope that if I am ever faced with such a tragedy I can be as courageous as she was and is.
My whole life she has been fun, loving and zany. I love that on my birthday no matter where I am I can expect to be woken up or called at the moment of my birth. I remember having pancakes in the middle of the night on school days. Staying home from school to watch movies and go out to eat. As I look back I wish I could still be with my mom every minute of every day.
Thanks for the opportunity to brag about my AMAZING mom.
My father recently passed away from liver and kidney failure at the age of 62. My mom waited on him hand and foot all their married life. She gave her life to take care of him and it is sad to say she was extremely under-appreciated. She was a committed wife and mother. I always remember her being such a great mother no matter how hard our family life got. She was a real mom. One that played checkers with you for hours, took you to the beach, and talked to you in a mature way even as a kid so you felt respected and were able to understand why rules were made. Since my dad passed and her kids are all grown, my mother has decided to put herself first. It is one of the hardest things to admit that my dad’s passing maybe was a door opening for her. She now goes to school, hangs out with friends, volunteers her time, and generally seems happy. I know she misses my dad but she has also turned this life altering event into something positive for her. And although it seems selfish, to me it is one more way she is taking care of me and my sister. My mom is independent and happy. She has chosen not to wallow in grief that would weigh heavy on not only her but also me and my sister. She has allowed herself to be free, to relive her youth, to regain some sense of self she had lost in the 25 years with my dad.
I never thought my mom was strong, but she has proven to me that if you are allowed to be yourself you can be an amazing person.
Thanks mom for showing us the silver lining in the darkest of clouds.
My mom is brilliant because she teaches me what commitment is and the power of not giving up on someone. Sometimes it seems like we live in a disposable culture that just walks away when something gets tough, but she is someone who has stuck through the tough times and weathered more than her fair share of storms. She also teaches me what it means to care for people and look deeper than the surface of people’s problems.
My Mum raised me and my four cousins when her sister died.
When she went through Cancer, I took care of her even though I was still in school.
Sadly I couldn’t be with her this Mothers Day, but she was the first person I spoke to.
I certainly wouldn’t be the person I am if it hadn’t been for my Mum.
(And I’ve just signed up for the newsletter too)
My Mom passed away July 2000 from pancreatic cancer,but, She will always be with me. She’s in my heart , she’s in my soul and there’s not a day that doesn’t go by that I dont think of her and remember all the wonderful memories we shared.
She was one of a kind and no one can take her place.
I will love and cherish everyday of my life because She gave me Life and Love!
I’m a subscriber and my Mom is, literally, brilliant. She attended college on several scholarships and, at a time when most women were looking to earn their MRS., my mom became a wonderful elementary school teacher – my sister has since followed in her footsteps! My mom has always believed that education is EVERYTHING for a woman to succeed and her love and support bolstered me through graduate school and law school. Ironically, she only has grandsons – but they all look to Nana for inspiration, a great sense of humor and the latest pro basketball scores. Betty White has nothin’ on my Mom!!
Cynthia.Richardson@azbar.org
My mom is amazing. My mom sacrificed so much to bring me into this world and from day one she has shown me her strengths. My mom loves me with all that she is, she took jobs that had job security so that she always knew we had food and shelter from the world. She is finally now retired to do what she always dreamed of doing being an artist full time. My mom is now winning awards and prizes for her art. My mom went back to College to further her education in art, she is living her dream. I recently helped her to finish her art room so that she could enjoy it, it was amazing to give her something she had always wanted and to know I did it with great love and respect for my mom. Her beauty and soul show thru her art and her love for her kids and her grandkids and her dear husband. My mom is so amazing if i win this necklace i am giving it to her as a gift for all she has given me. thank you
My mom was a truely incredible person. She grew up on a big farm in Nebraska, and always had a love for helping people. She went to college to achieve her Phd. in teaching with an emphasis in mathematics. After graduating she went to Oglala Lakota college to teach underprivileged Native American students. This is where she met my dad, and a few years later, voila! Along comes my brother, Jamie, with me following only a few yrs later.
When I was 2, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. She went through chemo, and radiation therapy. After a long struggle, she was put into remission. This was the greatest news for our small, happy family. Little did we know that only 6 years later, when i was nine, the disease that had almost pulled us apart would strike again, only with more vengeance this time.
I remember sitting in the kitchen waiting for mom to get home to hear the news on why her belly had been aching so much recently. She walked in and immediately started crying. It was just what we had dreaded, the cancer was back full blown this time and had metastasized to her blood and liver.
My beautiful mother, Joan Thomas, fought her battle with cancer until Dec. 14th, 2001. That is the day she lost her life, I lost my support, and my family lost their backbone.
My mother was truely the MOST incredible woman I have ever met and everyday I aspire to be half the person she was. She cared about everything and everyone. She never let her disease get her down. And, most of all, she loved me and my family so deeply. Before she passed, she left each of us a personal letter about what she hoped for our lives. Whenever I need some inspiration I pull my letter out, and after some tears, I make myself a better person.
She touched the lives of so many. At her celebration of life, the church was so packed people were standing all the way out to the sidewalk trying to find a place to, at the very least, hear what was being said.
I only had my mother for a short 11 years, but she is with me forever. If I’m selected to win this necklace, I may not be able to give it to her, but i will cherish it as a keepsake and reminder that she is in my heart forever, right where the necklace would hang.
My mother is everything I could hope to be. As I get older I am told more and more that I’m becoming more like her, it is an amazing compliment. She helps me see what kind of woman I want to be.
My mother put herself through medical school. She was a single mom with three kids and very little money. We lived in student family housing in a small 2 bedroom apartment for years. My mother slept on a futon in the living room so that my brother, sister and I could have bedrooms, she accepted welfare and made sure we always had food on the table (really good, healthy food). I don’t think I ever really knew how poor we were because she always found a way to make sure we had everything we needed. When she became a physician she worked in low-income clinics and eventually got a job for the State of California as a Public Health Officer. She has provided us an awesome life.
I know I can count on my mom for anything, she has supported me through everything I have gone through and did the same for my brother and sister. Looking back at our life I can see how much she sacrificed for us. My mom has become my best friend, I think she is the most brilliant woman I have ever known.
My mother is my mother and my best friend. She immigrated to the United States with all of us kids and managed to learn English and she graduated with a MBA as Valedictorian. Shes Brilliant and a very hard worker. She gave me amazing advice to keep studying as much as I could and do everything I wanted to do for “me” before getting married. I followed her advice, got my PhD, and did all my travels and everything I wanted to do before getting married this year. Without her advice, wisdom, and inspiration I would not be where I am today. I love my mom and appreciate all the sacrifice and hard work she has gone through all to create better life for her children.
My mother is the bravest mother I know. She suffered a massive stroke on July 25th 2008. She fought to regain use of her right side. She was well on her way when she fell and broke her hip this past March. She has not once said she wanted to quit. She does her therapy both physical and speach, and continues to enjoy spending time with her great grandchildren. Her only complaint is that she can not get down on the ground yet to weed in her flower gardens.
This may not be what you are looking for, but my mom saved my life. She always told me growing up that suicide was a long term solution to a short term problem. Through the very tough points in my life those simple words stuck with me and I always decided to keep trying. She may not know, but I really do owe her my life.
When everyone said I couldn’t there was only one person who said I could and that was my mom
I didn’t know how strong my mother was until she had to piece her life back together last year. After 20 years of marriage, Dad walked out on our lives; she has been rediscovering who she is as an individual, rather than half of a parenting couple. She is relearning the things she loves about life – what HER favorite foods are, what SHE wants to do in her spare time, where SHE wants to vacation. My mother is brilliant for remaining strong and resilient despite massive emotional setbacks, and she deserves far more credit than one Mother’s Day a year. I hope I appreciate the chance to see someone fall in love with life again.
“Nothing is more practical than finding God,
that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination,
will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you will do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, who you know, what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.”
-Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
My mother’s name is Elena. That means “beautiful” from the Greek.
She is also the teacher of English in one of the schools in Moscow, Russia. Her name as a teacher is Mrs. Light.
Whenever it comes to such a mission that a woman has such as raising her children – she will be the most dedicated and dearest, to us. Whenever it concerns her children she is never weak. Whenever it concerns my sister and me, she is always wise thought she might not know everything. And finally she does what most parents usually fear to do – she gives us, me and my sister, freedom. She does what she knows she has to.
We love her for her intuition and emotions. And always giving the best advice by just being herself.
She is the whole world to us. The Beautiful and the Light.
my mom is has been my mentor all of my life and she means the world to me. i don’t know what i’ll do when she is not around anymore, i speak to her everyday since she is my best friend too.
a mothers love comes from the heart, it is not judging,it is whole and pure. My mother Loves all her children as if they were one, one son, one daughter, one heart, one soul, a mothers ,love never ends and knows no bounderies she will be there if you are up or down to encourage, understand or just to simply lend a caring hand. A mothers love is forever it is a love we will cary with us no mater our age, time, or place. i love my mother for all that she is and all that she has givin me, the courage to live my life,raise my kids and to love endlessly, she taught me to not judge by the simple glance at someone to look within and find that special beauty that is within everyone of us, she taught me to never give up allways find the strength to move foreward. for all this I am proud to say i love you with all that I am. Happy mothers day mom you are my garnet in the sky shining to light the way.
Brilliance is a rare shimmer of light
Illuminating our journey through the darkest night
The brilliance of a mind is immeasurable
Its effect on the lives around it, incalculable
Most would think of Tesla, Copernicus, or Chandrasekhar
But to me, the brightest of all is my mother.
Raising five children and working full shifts
Her praise and happiness are the best of gifts
In growing up as her youngest of kin
I was her baby, and her care was my win
She always did her best for me
In hopes I would grow up eventually
She always knows wrong from right
My mother’s brilliance is the brightest of bright
My mother’s brilliant because if nature had its way she wouldn’t be a mother at all. She had to undergo years of fertility treatments for me and my siblings to be born. Her motivation? When she saw other people as parents, she wanted to “feel the same joy.”
As I get older, I can’t help but feel the same way. But I often wonder if faced with the same obstacles I’d have that much strength. I’ll have to ask her what she thinks–mothers always know best.