Sunday will be one of my favourite days of the year. Also one that is always bittersweet.
Sunday is Mother鈥檚 Day. I lost my Mum almost 30 years ago, so I won鈥檛 get to buy her some of her favourite chocolates or take her out for a lunch she鈥檇 insist on paying for. But it鈥檚 always a wonderful day for memories, so I鈥檒l share once again this year an updated tale of the world鈥檚 most wonderful woman 鈥� and ask you to share your own tales as well.
If you can stop cackling at the guitar-playing goober with the feathered hair and the three-sizes-too-small Miami Dolphins pyjamas, focus for a minute on the lovely lady in the middle of the picture, above.
That鈥檚 my mother. Mum died in 1987. She was just 44 years old. Cancer. Not a day goes by that I don鈥檛 think of her. Not a day will ever go by that I don鈥檛 think of her.
She was the most incredible woman I have ever met and the single biggest influence on my life. Because I was still pretty much a kid when she fell ill and passed away, I still have trouble wrapping my head around the whole thing. I am older now than Mum was when she left us.
That鈥檚 not right. She lived for us. And if I didn鈥檛 necessarily appreciate it enough as a kid, that appreciation grows with every passing day.
I could fill this space a dozen times over with my amazing memories. The lessons she taught me will stick with me forever and formed the basis of what I鈥檝e passed along to my own son. She is with me every day. Memories are so important, for all of us.
But I鈥檝e had a platform for years to offer up my thoughts. Now I want yours.
As mentioned, Sunday (May 14) is Mother鈥檚 Day. I want to hear about your favourite Mum (Mom, Ma, Mother, Mommy, Mama) memories. Whether she鈥檚 passed on to bigger and better things, or is still here with us, I want to know why your mother is special.
My sister Penny (who has done Mum proud with her own awesome mothering skills) offered this: 鈥淚 remember as a little girl watching her get ready to go to the policeman鈥檚 ball and thinking how beautiful she looked and how I wanted a dress and shoes just like hers when I grew up.
All the driving she did to all of our activities never missing ANYTHING and never once complaining 鈥� I know now how much work that is. Realizing how much she taught me in the short time I had her 鈥� usually when I go to do something and I already know how to do it (such as cooking a turkey) it鈥檚 cause she showed me. Her love for making holidays special 鈥� reading The Night Before Christmas with my kids like she did with us. Subtly following a lady in the mall a few years after Mum died because she was wearing the same Tabu perfume Mum wore. That was rough. Her special name for me that no one else called me. The list goes on鈥︹��
Give me a minute here to fight off these onion-cutting ninjas.
Send along your memories (keep them a reasonable length) and even your old photos or video clips.
You can email them to me directly or post them on the .
I鈥檒l piece together a bunch of the responses to share back with you, and we鈥檒l find a nifty prize or two (random draw) from our sales crew to give away for you or your mom.
One day really isn鈥檛 enough.
Let鈥檚 all celebrate together and honour these amazing women.
鈥� VI Free Daily managing editor Philip Wolf can be reached via email at philip.wolf@blackpress.ca. Follow him on Twitter @philipwolf 13 and download our app at to check out extra stories, photos and videos via our digital editions?
