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Mom's Wrench
By Donna Hedley of Sassy Sunflower Books
In a few days, my Mother will be turning 91. It doesn’t seem that long ago that we had the big birthday bash BBQ in her backyard to celebrate turning 90. It was a great party. My Mother is a very popular and much loved member of her community. Guests, of whom there were many, were encouraged to bring an object that represented what she meant to them and then share with the assembly why they picked that item; why it made them think of her. There were many interesting objects presented. A garden decoration made up of various sized stone, one for each decade. A beautiful bone china cup and saucer. An inukshuk. A reproduction of a hand made card my Mother had given to a neighbour. I was scheduled to be last, just before the cake come out. Unfortunately, there was some miscommunication, and as I was about to make my speech, they already started to light the candles on the cake. So I was not able to share my story. I want to take that opportunity now. The object I choose to best represent of my mother was a small metal wrench. I felt this was a great symbol of my mother for various reasons. Mom came from the era where the Father went off to work and the Mother stayed to look after the kids and home. This she did in a grand fashion. I remember fondly how she was always there, taking care of our many needs with love and great care. Food on the table, cloths clean and in good repair, being there when we got home from school. Not only did she take such good care of us, but she was very talented. In fact, I always thought of her as some kind of genius. She was musical, singing in the church choir, duets with her sister, or solos. She is an artist, filling the house with her many landscapes, then water colours and Japanese brush painting. She always had a craft on the go, whether it was crocheting blankets, vests or shawls, sewing, Christmas crafts, cards and more. But it didn’t stop there. She was also a builder. She was always building things like shelves, or renovating the basement, or anything else that came to mind. She designed and built an arbor for the back driveway. She was always thinking, designing and planning something. One of her more ambitious projects was the creation of a car top carrier, to be used by her and Dad on camping trips. I remember being in the basement, helping her as she put her dream into reality. It was made with a wooden base, was covered in a heavy vinyl cloth, and was inlaid with a thick foam mattress. When completed, it was strapped to the top of the car. While driving, it looked like an ordinary car top storage carrier, but once they decided to stop for the night, all they had to do was lift up the lid about 4 feet, and it was transformed into a tent on top of the car. So you can start to see why I pick a wrench to talk about Mom. She was so inventive, creative and smart and her many ideas and inventions inspired me. I like to think I have inherited some of her creativity and was inspired to spread my wings, giving me the special gift of realizing that I could do whatever I wanted. It was the era of the Women’s Movement but I never really felt a need to fight for my rights as a women, to demand equality etc. I just assumed it. If I wanted to do something, I did it. It never occurred to me that the fact I was a female should stop me from doing anything I wanted to do. I think that is because since my mother didn’t let it stop her, she installed in me the assumption I could do whatever I wanted. For that I will always be grateful. Over the years I have been involved in many things, some the so called typical women things, like being a wife and mother, and other not so typical things like majoring in Chemistry in High School, becoming a computer programmer or doing wood working. All these things I have enjoyed, not because I was a woman doing the out of the ordinary, but because I was a person, doing what I loved, just because I chose to. So thank you Mom for being my inspiration. I realize that the little metal wrench may seem insignificant, but I hope you understand what it represents to me. I thank you for being such a wonderful mother, a marvelous role model and my friend.
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Strategies for Happiness
| Sassy Sunflower Books
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I really appreciated this intel! My step-mother is turning 91 tomorrow. It is a great age to reach if you are well. Unfortunately, mum has alzheimers now and that destroys creativity. She is still very Irishly witty. I hope that your grandmother keeps well and her blessing outnumber the Shamrocks that grow.
All the best,
Laraine
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http://dhedley.qondio.com/
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