As we approach Mother’s Day, I thought I would share a bit about my own mom, along with some poems I wrote for the cards I made to sell. With lockdown and loss of income I thought part of my sharing would be the poems, for anyone who would like to copy them to make their own cards.
Mom 24/4/1935 – 29/4/ 1988 (†)
Mom was the youngest of 3 sisters in Lake Como Italy, Dervio to be exact. Growing up, she was very much a free spirited, tomboyish type of girl. She went up to grade 5 (Quinta elementare), Which was normal in those days. Her passion was knitting, and she would make and sell things on the knitting machine my grandfather had bought for her. She was also excellent at knitting by hand and would recycle old wool to make new things.
When she was young, she also worked as a maid for neighbours as the umbrella factory in Dervio where her sisters worked, was not hiring people when she left school. She met dad in 1957 and they married in 1959. She became a housewife and I remember holding wool and helping her pull old jerseys apart as she sorted out the wool to make new ones. When dad opened his salon in Bellville there was a little shop nearby that would buy some of her knitting.
Mom loved animals and the birds would nest in the trees in our garden and allow her to see the babies. She was extremely sensitive, e.g. one day I had to vacuum the lounge but as she was speaking to the milkman I stood waiting for them to finish, only to get a mouthful when he left, because she said he was a poor man and asked if I was I trying to show off with what we have because we had more than him. She was also strict; my youngest brother often tells the story of when he faked to be sick one day to skip school. When my other brothers and I left for school, he wanted to get up, but mom made him stay in bed all day! If I spoke badly about anyone she’d tell me who was I to judge because I wasn’t and had never been in that person’s shoes.
When dad opened his last salon in Parow, things didn’t go well as he was sickly. As a result, mom started going with him to help. She worked on the till and would wash people’s hair and help out where she could with the odd things. On the 29th of April 1988 as my parents were leaving the salon in the evening, a car came speeding along and hit her and she died instantly .Mom had an extremely high level of intuition. On her last day she was very happy and singing beautifully .My question is, did she feel or anticipate something?
My poems
1st Poem
You are a wonderful mother your smile is so bright,
You love unconditionally morning, noon and night
You listen and care you wipe away tears.
Thank you for being our sweet mother dear.
2nd Poem
To a mother so sweet so loving and caring
Who shares her love and her time.
Who gives of herself without tiring
I am so glad that mother is mine.
3rd Poem
A Mother is a shoulder to cry on.
A friend to talk to
Someone who always listens
She’s patient kind and loving
All this and so much more.
Thank you, mom, for always doing your best.
4th Poem
Mum you are a pillar of strength a tower of love
A source of inspiration
Everything a mother does is done with dedication.
A mother helps us through our trials and all our tribulations
We’re so lucky to be blessed with the best mum in the nation.
Happy Mother’s Day & thank you for everything.