Today I would like to dedicate my blog to my mother for she has been the most positive roll model in my life and without her I would not be the person I am today.
My mother was married in 1970 at the tender age of 19 - which was appropriate at the time in Scotland. Within that same year she had my sister. This was quite a momentous change for her I imagine between devoting her life to her husband and now a child. I can only imagine how dramatic her life changed in one short year.
Just one year later at the age of 20 she had me. Now she was also raising 2 small children as well as keeping a house and tending to my father. When I consider what I had done by the age of 20 it only amounted to finishing high school and starting college. I could not imagine having one child, never mind 2 OR God forbid being married.
By the time I was 1 1/2 years my father packed us all up and moved to Canada. My father had several brothers here but my mother had no one. No one to call and have a tea with, no one to talk to or lean on for support. I can only imagine how alone she felt. She had left the only home and family she knew to come here for my father AND for us. Once again she sacrificed so much for our benefit.
I remember my mother working many factory jobs while here in Canada. When she worked at United Car I remember her coming home with cuts all over her fingers from working the line and handling car parts. I remember the smell of the factory on her clothes. i remember how hard she worked all day to pay for things like food and clothing then she would come home and cook and clean for us.
By the time I reached grade eight my mother left my father - once again she did this to keep me and my sister safe. At the time we were living in a small apartment in Brantford. We left suddenly and had nowhere to go. Luckily my uncle took us in until we could make other arrangements. How hard this must have been for my mother to make the decision to leave my father for I knew how frightened she was of him because we all were. I can only imagine how difficult it was to call my father's brother for help. To risk him turning us away and taking my father's side. I don't know if even now she realizes how brave she was doing what she did.
During that separation we travelled to Scotland so we could be closer to my mother's family. She was on her own with 2 girls, just separated and scared. I can completely understand her decision to move us back to Scotland after all that she had been through without the love and support of her family. We were left in peace for 3 months. Then my father decided to come to Scotland too and the peace and quiet ended. My mother had to make the difficult decision to move back to Canada, again to keep us safe. Plus she knew that we would not have the same opportunities for a career in Scotland as we would in Canada. Once again she sacrificed her own happiness and security for us.
During the next few years my mum went back to working at the factory but because of her long absence she lost seniority. She did not have the same pay or security she once had. She knew she had to make a change and enrolled herself in school to become a Health Care Aid. This was no easy task as she also worked full time, looked after 2 teenage girls and had to achieve a high grade just to pass her course. I don't know how she did it but she did. I was so incredibly proud of what my mother accomplished.
When my husband and I started dating my mother bought her first house on her own. I know she was scared and felt an incredible financial pressure but she did it. Not many people can say that they could afford to buy a home, a car and manage to go on the occasional vacation but my mother has. She is fantastic at handling money and always has been. I secretly wish I had her gift with numbers. She has always been incredibly talented in math and a whiz with numbers. She has always managed to survive on a small budget and does not waste a penny. I think we could all learn from my mum.
Now my mother is a grandmother and what a wonderful one she is. She picks up my girls from school every day just so I can have a couple of hours to finish my work. She has all of her grandkids over to sleep over whenever she can, and I know that if I EVER need her to help she is ALWAYS there. I really am truly blessed to have my mother both for myself and my children.
Mum, no matter what has happened in our lives I have always had your love and support. You have done so much for us in ways I sometimes need reminding of and today I want you to know that I see what you have done. I feel the sacrifices you have made and I love the person that you are. Thank you for being my rock, my role model, my heart of gold. Without you we would be lost. I love you mum.
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