Here is the winning entry written by Veronica Mccann nominating her mom, Heather Rees.
“I am nominating Heather Rees for mother of the year. I’ve sat and edited this response trying to shorten it to 200 words, but she’s just too amazing to fit into 200 words.
PTA president to cheer mom, my mother’s eager presence in our lives was always there. It seemed annoying up until the time I realized not everyone gets that privilege. Not everyone has their mom at every sports event, every parent teacher conference, every doctor visit, every major moment; I realized how lucky we were that she devoted her time to our lives over her own – and without one complaint. Our friends became her kids; our problems, her cause; our happiness, her peace; our dreams, her wish. How amazing to have someone who cares so much about our lives – down to the mundane details of what we ate for breakfast. She was the Kleenex for every tear, the bucket of ice cream for every heartbreak, the band-aid for every ail, the beauty article for every mascara purchase, the whisk for every new recipe, the phone call for every bit of good news, the spot-on theme at every birthday party, the celebratory treat for every accomplishment, the confidence for every endeavor, and the will for every dream. She was all of this to us while impacting others, evidenced by the influx of positive affirmations afforded to me by everyone whose life she touched. She somehow maintains such effortless calm among hours full of volunteering and being fully involved in a family forest and still finding time for her favorite shows and nightly bath.
More than being there for us, however, she also molded us through lessons she implanted, most notably about being comfortable with the decisions that make us happy. Even when making decisions she would not necessarily pick for us – and believe me, we made many of those – she supported it because she knew it’s what made us happy.
Best summing up my mother being a mother is a quote she often says: “You’re only as happy as your least happy child.” Our happiness is her happiness; she deserves appreciation for that.”
Reprinted from EAST COBBER’s May 2016 issue
