Mother's Day

Two years ago the day before Mother's Day, my Mom died. Mother's Day that year fell on May 13th. I think the date doesn't matter to me, the day will never be the same for me even though I am a mother. She is not only missed by me but also by her "favourite" only son-in-law Steve, grandson Teddy, great grandsons Justin, Bradyn and Cassidy. And then there is Elliotte, who will sadly never know her.

We didn't always get along and there were many times in my youth that I simply didn't understand her or she me. I gave her a fair bit of grief in my time which I now regret. But we were very close, some would say unnaturally close and I miss her terribly still.

In her later years after my Dad died and she came to live with us she was the easiest person to have around. She was almost always smiling and happy and the only fights we ever had was over her health and her reluctance to take prescribed medicine for a heart problem. I tried to make it up to her for being such a bratty kid. We took trips together and she absolutely loved being at the cottage with Steve and me. She absolutely loved the Rocky Mountains in Alberta and made a couple of trips to Calgary and Banff. She found joy in the smallest things. The only thing we never did get to do together was to go back to her birthplace in the former East Germany. I made that trip alone last year and walked in her path.

I put together some of my favourite photos into a video clip. It is my first attempt at this so forgive me if it's a bit rough.

Hertha Lucie Helene Gross
January 14, 1923 - May 12, 2007