My mom lives in Italy (like all relatives) with my dad and she is dealing with his Parkinson disease diagnosis. She is strong but I know that she misses me ( but more than me, she does miss my son 😬), and she is very sad that she is not able to come to San Francisco for the birth of my second child next month. Another mother figure very important for me was my maternal grandmother, she was a very strong willed woman, she took care by herself of my mom and her two brothers. After my grandfather kicked her (and the kids) out of their home because he wanted to bring there his mistress, she kept working to sustain herself and the kids. It was in the 1960s and it wasn’t easy. She was my hero and I miss her every day! And for that I’ll give my daughter her name.
I'm sure I'm too late to win, but I'd like to consider getting a subscription for my three daughters. There's still time for them to change because of this info! I'm finding it hard to express the things I'm learning. I've made positive changes in my own diet, but it's too late for my husband with Lewy Body dementia who wants to live off donuts and Coke for his remaining days. It's painful to love someone going through this. I nursed my own mom with vascular dementia until the end of her life, too. Thanks for making such a big difference in our lives, Annie!
Thinking of you Annie, and sending you love! The first five years after my mom's death were the hardest. She was only 57, killed in a car accident. I was 33. She is so knit into the fabric of my being. I think of her with gratitude and love constantly. I don't know how the universe works, but I don't believe souls die, and I am sure she is so very proud of you! The depth and breadth of our grief is commensurate to our love. And love is very costly! Big hugs!
My mom is in the last stages of Alzheimer’s and it has been a long awful road filled with grief and pain for my whole family. And yet she is still in some ways still her same sweet self, just in a more stripped-down innocent form. I used to send her tulips every Mothers Day and this is the first year I can’t because she can’t have them where she lives now. One more little grief. I wish I could tell her how much I miss her.
Thanks Deb. We all experience Alzheimer's with a parent uniquely, and yet there are so many similarities. A million little losses, as they say. Happy Mother's Day to you--hope you have a great day.
My mom has always been a little bit different from other moms I know. She traveled two out of every four weeks for most of my childhood and she made twice as much money as my dad. But she called every night she was away to ask about my day - and she would bring us along to conferences in fun locations whenever possible. She has and maintains close friends from all the eras of her life and loves getting food and swapping stories with them. She started taking fish oil and vitamin D and B vitamins in the 90s and she started lifting weights and running when I was really young. She is really good at seeing and taking opportunities to live and love well.
My Mom loved to cook ! our favorite recipes of hers when we visited from out of town. Certain holidays or events were associated with certain recipes that we now make with great memories. So heartbreaking when she couldn’t bake anymore because she couldn’t follow the recipe and would leave something out. Her craftiness was unparalleled and her sales from crafts paid for our braces.
Hi Judy! She sounds wonderful, I am sorry you had to lose her. Braces are expensive--she must have been crafty indeed! You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My mom was recently diagnosed with AD. I’m struggling to learn new ways of working with her, and she is completely in denial of the disease. We will all have a lot of change coming. It is hard to really grasp, but I am grateful to all of those who have also traveled this road.
I feel for you Caroline! My mom never acknowledged she had AD and it was very challenging to work with her in the face of denial. I hope you find community here on BHK, and please reach out if you need a hand. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My mother died at 94. Luckily, her mind never failed her, just her body. She was on Facebook an hour before she died. There are still so many questions I wish I could ask her.
How wonderful to be engaged right up to the end! You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My grandmother (hope that counts) passed away from Alzheimer’s this past year here is what I read at her funeral and wish she could have heard: Grammy was a woman I always looked up to. Growing up just across the street, I was fortunate to have her close by. She had a special way of making me feel cherished, even though she did call me ‘the mouth’ because she could hear me “even with her windows closed”.
Some of my favorite memories of her was when she made Easter dresses for me or when she helped me design a Christmas tree skirt, that I still use today. She would measure me while I held still and she talked with pins in her mouth. I was always afraid she was either going to stick me with a pin or she going to swallow one. I loved laying on the daybed in her sewing room while she worked. Sometimes we talked and sometime the rhythmic noise of the machine filled the room. I was amazed how fast she could sew! Just being with her made me feel content.
I’ll always remember the joy of decorating her Christmas tree with ‘the boys’. Being with our cousins and laughing about how she would burn the taco shells every year. Plugging in our ‘house ornament’ and getting excited about Christmas. We were not always excited about opening her handknit gifts, but I think she knew that and would always sneak a toy or game in there too. What I wouldn’t do now for a handknit sweater in my size to remember her.
I loved cooking together in her kitchen. It was never hurried; it was a time for connection. I was always amazed me how carefree she was. She would just take a dirty coffee cup out of the sink to measure water. She never followed a recipe and she had so.many.cans. in her cupboard.
Her garden was a place where I would sit and listen to her stories about ‘the olden days’, her eyes lighting up as she spoke. I remember her laughing so hard when she told me about the time her son ripped off his snap up pants on the soccer field to discover that he had no shorts on underneath.
I unintentionally followed in her footsteps in a lot of areas. Gettjng married young, having 4 (original) kids, 3 boys and a girl, then did foster care and adoption. She would often have conversations with me about being a mom to kids who weren’t biologically yours and I always left those talks feeling understood, seen and known.
She always called me “hunny,” always looked in my eyes, and always made me feel like I was the only thing on her agenda when spending time with me.
Grammy, you filled my life with consistency and love. Your spirit will live on in my heart, and I am so grateful for the time we shared. You will be deeply missed.❤️
So many beautiful memories, Amber. I am sorry you had to lose her. This contest is about moms, but I'm happy to give you an 11th gift subscription in honor of your Grammy. Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My mom had a stroke when she was in her mid 30s just a couple years after my dad had passed away. I was just 10 years old at the time. My brother and I had to grow up quickly and help out with our little sister who was very young. We had lots of help from family and friends but as the years went on it became harder and harder. She was expected to live only 6 months but amazingly lived to be 78 before passing. She spent all her post stroke years half paralyzed and challenged. Throughout all of it I know I wasn’t always the best at being happy and positive because it was challenging. But now in my later years, I look back and feel so sorry for my attitude back then. I’m sorry Mom, I wish I would have done better. I really miss my mom and now realize just how hard it was for her too. Happy Mother’s Day Mom! XO I love you!
Oh Susan, it sounds like you all endured so much loss. Your mom sounds truly amazing. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My mom passed away many years ago but always wished I had asked about our ancestry and family rituals etc - food was always a big part of our lives so I thank her for taking such good care of us while she was here!! Happy Mothers Day to all !!
Hi Karen, yes I think you can't ask to many questions! Your mom sounds amazing. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My mom passed in April 2020 (92) . Just yesterday I was in a card store and got extremely emotional . I didn’t need a mother’s day card. Mom: I miss you so much. Thank you for being a great role model . For working hard and still coming home to cook for us. You were strong, and loving in your own way. I feel you with me always. E ❤️
Hi Enid, this is so touching. I am sorry you had to lose her. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
Hi Ann. I just paid for my subscription yesterday. I would like to surprise my friend Daria with a subscription. dariamrubino@gmail.com. We are both health coaches and graduates of Integrative Institute of Nutrition.
My mom is a selfless person who is always there for me. I recently had my second child and she took time off of her job to help me. For the last month, she is a constant presence helping to burp, change diapers and cook. I have so much help, it’s embarrassing. And then I remember when she had my little brother and my dad was in training across the country. She gave birth on her own and took care of the two of us all by herself. I recently asked her how she did it and she said she remembers being so tired she felt like she could barely open her eyes, but that she found the strength because she had to. Moms are amazing.
Wow, what an incredible mom. Happy Mother's Day to you both. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter.
Your mom sounds amazing Linda. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
Well Annie thank you! Since I have plenty of time left on this flight to Atlanta I’ll send u my daughters email now..my Mothers Day gift to her! She’s constantly inquiring info from me on what I’m learning from you!
My mom lives in Italy (like all relatives) with my dad and she is dealing with his Parkinson disease diagnosis. She is strong but I know that she misses me ( but more than me, she does miss my son 😬), and she is very sad that she is not able to come to San Francisco for the birth of my second child next month. Another mother figure very important for me was my maternal grandmother, she was a very strong willed woman, she took care by herself of my mom and her two brothers. After my grandfather kicked her (and the kids) out of their home because he wanted to bring there his mistress, she kept working to sustain herself and the kids. It was in the 1960s and it wasn’t easy. She was my hero and I miss her every day! And for that I’ll give my daughter her name.
Francesca, I am sure your mom misses you like crazy. And your grandmother sounds amazing. Happy Festa della Mamma to you!
Grazie ❤️
I'm sure I'm too late to win, but I'd like to consider getting a subscription for my three daughters. There's still time for them to change because of this info! I'm finding it hard to express the things I'm learning. I've made positive changes in my own diet, but it's too late for my husband with Lewy Body dementia who wants to live off donuts and Coke for his remaining days. It's painful to love someone going through this. I nursed my own mom with vascular dementia until the end of her life, too. Thanks for making such a big difference in our lives, Annie!
Hi Carol, yes they went fast. Kudos to you for being the one to inspire and educate your girls.
Thinking of you Annie, and sending you love! The first five years after my mom's death were the hardest. She was only 57, killed in a car accident. I was 33. She is so knit into the fabric of my being. I think of her with gratitude and love constantly. I don't know how the universe works, but I don't believe souls die, and I am sure she is so very proud of you! The depth and breadth of our grief is commensurate to our love. And love is very costly! Big hugs!
Triss, how awful and tragic that you lost your mom at such a young age. Sending you a big hug right back!
Thank you, Annie for sharing from your heart, you are an amazing inspiration
Thank you Anne--that means so much. Thanks for being here, and Happy Mother's Day!
My mom is in the last stages of Alzheimer’s and it has been a long awful road filled with grief and pain for my whole family. And yet she is still in some ways still her same sweet self, just in a more stripped-down innocent form. I used to send her tulips every Mothers Day and this is the first year I can’t because she can’t have them where she lives now. One more little grief. I wish I could tell her how much I miss her.
Sending you big hugs on your first Mothers Day without your mom, Annie. 💕
Thanks Deb. We all experience Alzheimer's with a parent uniquely, and yet there are so many similarities. A million little losses, as they say. Happy Mother's Day to you--hope you have a great day.
My mom has always been a little bit different from other moms I know. She traveled two out of every four weeks for most of my childhood and she made twice as much money as my dad. But she called every night she was away to ask about my day - and she would bring us along to conferences in fun locations whenever possible. She has and maintains close friends from all the eras of her life and loves getting food and swapping stories with them. She started taking fish oil and vitamin D and B vitamins in the 90s and she started lifting weights and running when I was really young. She is really good at seeing and taking opportunities to live and love well.
She sounds amazing Nikki! What a fun, smart mom.
My mom as preliminarily told she had dementia... with lots of stress intervention she found that it was stress! Now at 91 is doing quite well
I love hearing this Sandi. Most people don't realize that 15% of dementia is from a reversible cause, like stress or depression. Happy Mother's Day!
My Mom loved to cook ! our favorite recipes of hers when we visited from out of town. Certain holidays or events were associated with certain recipes that we now make with great memories. So heartbreaking when she couldn’t bake anymore because she couldn’t follow the recipe and would leave something out. Her craftiness was unparalleled and her sales from crafts paid for our braces.
Hi Judy! She sounds wonderful, I am sorry you had to lose her. Braces are expensive--she must have been crafty indeed! You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
karenpointer8@gmail.com
My mom was recently diagnosed with AD. I’m struggling to learn new ways of working with her, and she is completely in denial of the disease. We will all have a lot of change coming. It is hard to really grasp, but I am grateful to all of those who have also traveled this road.
I feel for you Caroline! My mom never acknowledged she had AD and it was very challenging to work with her in the face of denial. I hope you find community here on BHK, and please reach out if you need a hand. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
Thank you! I emailed you the gift address.
My mother died at 94. Luckily, her mind never failed her, just her body. She was on Facebook an hour before she died. There are still so many questions I wish I could ask her.
How wonderful to be engaged right up to the end! You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My grandmother (hope that counts) passed away from Alzheimer’s this past year here is what I read at her funeral and wish she could have heard: Grammy was a woman I always looked up to. Growing up just across the street, I was fortunate to have her close by. She had a special way of making me feel cherished, even though she did call me ‘the mouth’ because she could hear me “even with her windows closed”.
Some of my favorite memories of her was when she made Easter dresses for me or when she helped me design a Christmas tree skirt, that I still use today. She would measure me while I held still and she talked with pins in her mouth. I was always afraid she was either going to stick me with a pin or she going to swallow one. I loved laying on the daybed in her sewing room while she worked. Sometimes we talked and sometime the rhythmic noise of the machine filled the room. I was amazed how fast she could sew! Just being with her made me feel content.
I’ll always remember the joy of decorating her Christmas tree with ‘the boys’. Being with our cousins and laughing about how she would burn the taco shells every year. Plugging in our ‘house ornament’ and getting excited about Christmas. We were not always excited about opening her handknit gifts, but I think she knew that and would always sneak a toy or game in there too. What I wouldn’t do now for a handknit sweater in my size to remember her.
I loved cooking together in her kitchen. It was never hurried; it was a time for connection. I was always amazed me how carefree she was. She would just take a dirty coffee cup out of the sink to measure water. She never followed a recipe and she had so.many.cans. in her cupboard.
Her garden was a place where I would sit and listen to her stories about ‘the olden days’, her eyes lighting up as she spoke. I remember her laughing so hard when she told me about the time her son ripped off his snap up pants on the soccer field to discover that he had no shorts on underneath.
I unintentionally followed in her footsteps in a lot of areas. Gettjng married young, having 4 (original) kids, 3 boys and a girl, then did foster care and adoption. She would often have conversations with me about being a mom to kids who weren’t biologically yours and I always left those talks feeling understood, seen and known.
She always called me “hunny,” always looked in my eyes, and always made me feel like I was the only thing on her agenda when spending time with me.
Grammy, you filled my life with consistency and love. Your spirit will live on in my heart, and I am so grateful for the time we shared. You will be deeply missed.❤️
So many beautiful memories, Amber. I am sorry you had to lose her. This contest is about moms, but I'm happy to give you an 11th gift subscription in honor of your Grammy. Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My mom had a stroke when she was in her mid 30s just a couple years after my dad had passed away. I was just 10 years old at the time. My brother and I had to grow up quickly and help out with our little sister who was very young. We had lots of help from family and friends but as the years went on it became harder and harder. She was expected to live only 6 months but amazingly lived to be 78 before passing. She spent all her post stroke years half paralyzed and challenged. Throughout all of it I know I wasn’t always the best at being happy and positive because it was challenging. But now in my later years, I look back and feel so sorry for my attitude back then. I’m sorry Mom, I wish I would have done better. I really miss my mom and now realize just how hard it was for her too. Happy Mother’s Day Mom! XO I love you!
Oh Susan, it sounds like you all endured so much loss. Your mom sounds truly amazing. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
Thank you, Annie! I would like to give this to Linda Tully - lindamtully@gmail.com
Happy Mother’s Day to you!
I just signed her up!
My mom passed away many years ago but always wished I had asked about our ancestry and family rituals etc - food was always a big part of our lives so I thank her for taking such good care of us while she was here!! Happy Mothers Day to all !!
Hi Karen, yes I think you can't ask to many questions! Your mom sounds amazing. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
My mom passed in April 2020 (92) . Just yesterday I was in a card store and got extremely emotional . I didn’t need a mother’s day card. Mom: I miss you so much. Thank you for being a great role model . For working hard and still coming home to cook for us. You were strong, and loving in your own way. I feel you with me always. E ❤️
Hi Enid, this is so touching. I am sorry you had to lose her. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
Hi Ann. I just paid for my subscription yesterday. I would like to surprise my friend Daria with a subscription. dariamrubino@gmail.com. We are both health coaches and graduates of Integrative Institute of Nutrition.
I just signed her up. Happy to have you both here!
My mom is a selfless person who is always there for me. I recently had my second child and she took time off of her job to help me. For the last month, she is a constant presence helping to burp, change diapers and cook. I have so much help, it’s embarrassing. And then I remember when she had my little brother and my dad was in training across the country. She gave birth on her own and took care of the two of us all by herself. I recently asked her how she did it and she said she remembers being so tired she felt like she could barely open her eyes, but that she found the strength because she had to. Moms are amazing.
Wow, what an incredible mom. Happy Mother's Day to you both. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter.
Annie I wish I could tell my mom how much I appreciate her teaching me that being together w/family & friends is everything 💞
Your mom sounds amazing Linda. You won a gift subscription! Please send me the email address of the person you are giving it to. You can contact me via direct message on Substack or email me by replying to this newsletter. Happy Mother's Day!
Well Annie thank you! Since I have plenty of time left on this flight to Atlanta I’ll send u my daughters email now..my Mothers Day gift to her! She’s constantly inquiring info from me on what I’m learning from you!
It’s jenstoll88@gmail.com
I miss you..Happy Mothers Day🥰