This year marks my first Mother’s Day without my mom as she passed away on Nov. 16, 2014. My mother and I were separated by 1400 miles but I always felt that we were just moments apart. In just a moment I could pick up the phone and hear her voice – catch her upbeat contagious joy and gratitude. Listen to the latest family news, laugh at her funny anecdotes and marvel at how she continued to remain so happy despite her failing health.
My mom was 5’1”, nimble on her feet and in her mind. She often hurried across the floor anxious to reach a chair. When she landed, she lit up the room with her smile. She had a kind word and favorite memory for everyone – let me make that clear – e v e r y o n e! She could connect with anyone. She found common ground with all people and immediately put strangers or newcomers at ease.
Not really a fashion icon, Mom had a sense of style and color that was perfect for every occasion. She eschewed the latest trends opting instead for fashions that complemented her figure and lifestyle. She had class.
She was smart – she read three newspapers a day – and she remembered everything, I mean everything! She could recall the name of your childhood best friend’s uncle – and his wife’s name! She remembered the weather and what she wore to an anniversary party in 1978. She was the best Trivial Pursuit player – ever! We all fought to have mom on our team. And crossword puzzles? She completed one every day for over 30 years. She knew stuff we never even heard of!
My mom was always there for me, for my five sisters and my father. Yet, somehow, she managed to keep her distance; she didn’t intrude on our marital relationships and yet was always just a moment away. What I wouldn’t do for one of those moments right now.
Happy Mother’s Day to you and to your mom. Count your blessings this year and steal a moment with her if you can. And if you’re lucky enough to celebrate with her, stitch a lovely ‘something’: a small pillow or linen tea towel to acknowledge her importance in your life.
Click the images below to download the lovely designs – my gift to you in memory of my mom and in honor of your mom.
The winner of last week’s assignment answered the following question:
“Every sewing studio runs more smoothly with embroidery essentials. For today’s blog, Eileen reached for Sulky’s Soft N Sheer Plus to complete the garment. What’s your favorite go-to Sulky product? Post a comment and one very lucky winner is going to score BIG courtesy of our friends at Sulky!” And the winner is: Sharon – “As a newbie embroiderer I find your tips very helpful. It’s a case of “I don’t know what I don’t know.””
42 COMMENTS
Donna
10 years agoThanks so much for the freebies. Its so nice when we all win!
Esther
10 years agoThank you for the memories of your mom, they made me smile. my mom is similar in some aspects and I appreciate every year she is still with us.
Joan
10 years agoYour page about your mom is a very nice tribute and I enjoyed reading about her…so sweet.
Jamie
10 years agoMy Mom died the day before your Mom this year. Your message brought me to tears and shared similar memories of my Mother too. Thank you for sharing.
Pat Mueller
10 years agoI’m sorry about your Mom. Mine has been gone almost 30 years and I still think of her often. I talk to her when I need her and know that she is around.
Sharon R
10 years agoThank you for the lovely words about your mom, I lost my mother over 40 years, and she’s often on my mind. My mom was nothing like yours, but somehow those good times are what I remember the most
Sandy Hoy
10 years agoThank you so much for sharing your memories of your mom. The bittersweet pain of remembering her means she will never be forgotten, as long as someone remembers her and her story. A loving tribute! I too, cherish those phone calls with my mom. As I have grown older, she has become a wonderful friend. Something that escaped us both when I was young. Many blessing on you and your family, and Happy Mother’s Day to you, as well!
Joy Teague
10 years agoEileen,
You had a beautiful Mom outside and inside.
Thank you for the free designs.
Joy
susan lorio
10 years agoi was touched by your story. your mom sounds like she was a wonderful soul. it will be a very sad day for me. my mom passed away last week. we are having her memorial service and internment on the day before Mother’s Day. not quite sure i can figure out how to live my new “normal” without her. she was also a wonderful soul and i miss her so much already. it is so new i can’t conceive of moving on right now without her. God bless all mothers and the lucky ones who still have theirs and i pray for inner peace for those who are learning to live without theirs.
Shirley Clark
10 years agoMy mom died Aug. 5, 1997, and I still miss her so much. Thanks for the designs.
Jan
10 years agoMy Mom has been gone for 20 years and I still miss her. Today in a discussion about times gone by I told of my Mom’s pickled beets, her cinnamon rolls, her care for others. How I would love to experience this again, but I am so very grateful for the memories. Thanks for sharing.
Pam
10 years agoI have always longed to have the relationship with my Mom, that most of you have treasured with yours! My grandmother lost her mom at just 10 and then as the first girl, became the main meal provider on the farm overnight, as well as taking care of the other 7 children, but not really understanding how to be a mother herself. My mom, her first child needed to go to a boarding house during the week as both parents traveled into NYC for work, making for very long days. At 8, her mom then started having 4 more children and my mom felt she was brought home to raise those children and never felt the love she so much desired. Due to her heart ache she then made sure to move our family as far from those family lines as was possible and we had very little contact over the years which seemed to cause even further scars and cut off emotional support for everyone. Neither was a joyful happy spirit, but each did the best they could with what they knew. I never felt I was approved of, though I now know that they did love, just in the only way they knew how. I am just so grateful that my children, now adults themselves, know how I feel and know I would do anything we could to help them. I am sure my internal scars have left their own marks on my children, I just pray that when my life is through that my own children will have memories more similar to the tributes I read here. Be reassured that I also realize the strength of spirit that both my Mom and my grandmother had, to have lived the lives they did. I appreciate each of your tributes to your own Mom’s as they are an example to me, as I am continuing to learn just how to be a Mother.
Dale
10 years agoMy Mother has been gone for 13 yrs. but I still talk to her almost everyday. I feel that she is watching over me. Thank you for the designs.
Marylee
10 years agoWhat a lovely tribute to a great Mom. You were blessed to be her daughter.
This will be the 3rd Mothers Day without my own Mom and I don’t believe the pain ever goes away. Thank God for sweet memories. And many thanks for your blog, software and FREE designs :o}
Yvonne Ginoulis
10 years agoThank you for the free designs. I lost my mom suddenly when I was 20 years old and that was 35 years ago. I miss her every day and think about her often. Your tribute to your mom made me cry because I do miss her every day even though it was so many years ago. You were lucky to have your mom in your life as an adult and to meet your children. Looking at your mom’s picture she looked like a wonderful women. You were blessed. The tribute to her showed how much she was loved from afar. Thank you for the designs and will now have to go shopping.
Debi
10 years agoMy Mom left us on June 1 2014. In reality it was years before this from Alzheimer’s. This will also be my first mother’s day without her, but my daughter-in-law’s first mother’s day…. I know my Mom is smiling down on her new great granddaughter
Saundra Romanus
10 years agoThanks for your lovely post about your Mom. My Mom passed away when I was 10 years old and it changed my life in more way than you can imagine!
Joan Mulle
10 years agoYour tribute to your Mom brought tears to my eyes. I lost my Mom 23 years ago, but I remember that day so vividly. Your Mom sounds very much like mine. Always a kind word about everyone. Enjoyed family and friends. I still love her miss her very much.
Nita W in OK
10 years agoThank you for sharing about your Mom, I know the sadness of that loss as we lost our Mom almost 9 years ago. She had a hard life and a lot of her emotional scars affected me, my 2 sisters & 1 brother. I chose not to be hateful, like my Mom was, and because of that decision, I’ve had a happy life & a very happy marriage (53 years in June)! If you Mom is still with you, be grateful, if not cherish the good memories and forget the bad ones, it’s too hard to carry around that heavy baggage.
Donna
10 years agoThank you for sharing about your beautiful Mother! I don’t have any good memories of mine. I love hearing about relationships of Mothers and daughters. I was blessed with two beautiful sons and now have two daughter in laws. I have always wanted and desired a relationship as beautiful as yours. God bless
JoAnn Ruby
10 years agoWhat a lovely tribute to your Mom. she reminds me a lot of my own mom, who fortunately for me is still with us. And thank you for the lovely designs.
Robin
10 years agoThanks for sharing your memories of your Mom. I also lost my Mom last year but in April, right before Mother’s Day, so this is my second year without. When I was reading your post, it was if I could have written it myself. Our Mom’s are so special in our lives even after they have gone. Happy Mom Memories this Mother’s Day.
Rhonda Ekblad
10 years agoThank you so much for your wonderful article about your Mom. When I saw her picture I knew what you meant. She even reaches through her pictures. How fortunate for you to have had such a wonderful person for your Mom.
Thank you for the lovely Design. I’ll use it to make something for my mom. She will be 88 this year, sharp as a tack, and works cross word puzzles too. Thank you for helping us to realize how lucky we are to still have them in our lives.
irene
10 years agoThank you for the lovely designs. Enjoyed reading about your Mom!
Connie Jordan
10 years agoMy mother died when I was a junior in high school-I am now 67 years old. I
enjoyed reading about your mother, it was a very nice tribute. Hopefully my own children will have such glowing things to say about me someday….
Barbara Cummings
10 years agoThank you for your post about Mom. This is my second Mother’s Day without my mom. She suffered from dementia for over 10 years. I marvel how your mom remembered everything…how wonderful for you and your family. We will both honor our moms this Mother’s Day..by remembering how much we loved them! Thank you again
Karen
10 years agoThanks for the designs and sharing about Mom.Mothers day of 2003 was the last time we had with my Mom she died 4 days latter.
Cathie Paski
10 years agoThank you for the gifts, I appreciate it since my mom just passed away in March.
You had such nice things to say about your mom.
Susie Mackenberg
10 years agoThanks, Eileen, for your tender sharing. My mom was the best and gave so much of herself, one being my love of sewing. I feel her spirit in my sewing room and know she is as tickled as I am with the fun we have! It was told that as long as you keep memories of a loved one alive, they are still here. So keep memories of your precious mom close. xo
Karen Poole
10 years agoWhat great memories you have to share! I too last my Mom, a few years ago, I miss her every day!! Her last four years were very tough as those memories she had before were gone to Alzheimer’s. The greatest blessing is that she never forgot who her children were!! As a mother and grandmother I cherish every day spent with my “kids” and grandkids!!
Kathleen De Verville
10 years agoThank you for the free designs
mOm
10 years agoEileen, thanks for the memories of my Mom. She was short too, but stood so tall to many of her same age. Spoke few words, but new many. Was loving and kind. Had little, but gave lots. And never, never, never did she say anything bad about anyone!!!! We all marveled at that. If only this world today could have learned the lessons our parents did when they grew up. What a wonderful world it would be!!
Carolyn
10 years agoThe 1st year of holidays is the hardest, but you will always miss her. Your tribute is heartfelt. My mom went home to the Lord at age 67 after 9 years of kidney failure and Dialysis, but it never dampened her spirit. I feel very proud and blessed when someone says, “You are so much like your mother. Having you around keeps her memory alive.”
Virginia
10 years agoThank you for sharing your beautiful memories of your Mom with us and for the free designs. Unfortunately, any good memories that I use to have of my Mother have been washed away by all the lies and bad deeds that she did to me. As an adult I learned the truth that she always put others ahead of me and that was extremely hurtful. The only positive that came out of my upbringing is in the way that I have raised my children and the fact that they know I love them and will do anything for them. I truly hope when I am gone that they will have the best memories of me as a Mother. I am very envious of all of you who have such wonderful memories of your Mothers.
Berenice
10 years agoI just happened to be on the phone with my mom while I was reading your post. She did not understand why I started crying (we were talking about Hobby Lobby!). I told her I would explain later. Her health is not the best and she gave us a big scare when she had a heart attack two months ago. I dread the day she will take the Lord’s hand and leave us here, but I know that everything she has taught us and given to us will help us to carry on. My employees tease me because we speak every day on my break. I would not have it any other way! Peace to you and I can tell by that twinkle in your Mom’s eye she was a very special person.
melissa c
10 years agoEileen, I promise to pray for you on Mother’s Day. My momma died a little over seven years ago. I find myself needing to tell her about my daughter’s accomplishments. I try and pour myself into other people’s needs whenever I am really missing either of my parents. It is amazing how God has placed several lonely, elderly people in my life. I try to give my them, my husband, my daughter, and my Boston terrier (!) The love that I wish I could lavish on my parents. I still ache at the emptiness, but at least others feel loved. May God comfort you, and give you strength to live each day in His joy. Thank you for allowing your readers to share your burden
ca bliz
10 years agomy mom died suddenly in October so like you these first holidays and Mother’s day are bittersweet. I am working on a Mother’s applique roses quilt so your free applique rose pattern will be included. God bless. Remember the good memories always.
Dolores
10 years agoLove this website
Karen Kress Nelson
10 years agoMother’s Day was difficult the first year after my dear, wonderful, sweet Mother passed away. However, instead of finding it as a difficult day, I have done something I find an honor to Mother!! Each Mother’s Day I use the beautiful doily she knitted for me. I place it by her photo and find an African Violet to put on it. Needless to say, my dear Mother taught me so many things about life and she was my English teacher in school. (yes, it’s true, lol). Thank you for sharing your dear Mother with me. Sincerely, Karen Kress Nelson
MJ
10 years agoThank you! What a lovely tribute for your dear mom!
Gayle
10 years agoThanks so much for the designs and the tribute to your mom. I miss my mom and gran ( who raised me lots of the time) and wish I could talk to then and ask their advice as I now realise that I was too busy to learn all I should have from their wealth of knowledge now gone forever.
Ryan Jaxon
9 years agoSuch gorgeous creations, one of my favourite colour combinations!