Praise Your Mom, Win $500

Joe Phoenix May 8, 2012 at 10:35 am

My mother is my hero. That's it!

Evelyn Goettner May 8, 2012 at 11:35 am

Forgot to mention that my mother was born and raised in South Philly and now lives in Northeast Philly.

Debra Breniak May 8, 2012 at 12:15 pm

Mother, how I wish I could hold you just once more. My mother made me the person I am today. I learned lessions from her that I have passed on to my own children and they are what keeps me alive today. My mother did it all for me and my brothers but the thing she did the best and meant the most was her love. My mother may not have been perfect but the impact on my life now is what makes me strong now that I am fighting cancer. I get the lession Mom, I do this for my children because they need me and my grand children need me. Thank you Mom, I am not ready to join you now but someday we will hold each other again.

Debra Breniak May 8, 2012 at 12:34 pm

your Mom my not be perfect but she gave you the best gift of all, love in your heart because with all she has done you still can love her. Don't judge her, love her for some day she will be gone and you will have a whole in your heart as I do today. Ours mothers touch us in ways we may not understand.

Debra Breniak May 8, 2012 at 12:41 pm

someone can give your mother a break, you and your sister. It is time for you both to step up and help Mom. Pay it forward and it doesn't mean by giving her something, give of yourself, thats the best way you can do something for her. I lost my Mom 4 years ago

Debra Breniak May 8, 2012 at 12:49 pm

give her the love she needs and let her know how much she is needed and she will do whatever it takes. If she can't be with you all next year know she tried. I am figthing cancer now and my children and grand children feel as you do but I will never give up but if I don't make it I know and they know I will always be with them in their hearts.

Debra Breniak May 8, 2012 at 12:55 pm

your Mom may have not been your birth mother but she was the mother god meant for you to have. She sound like a lovely lady and know she is still with you now. I feel my mother with me every day.

Debra Breniak May 8, 2012 at 01:18 pm

I just want to add a message to my children and grand children, I start my kemo today and want them to know I do this for them. My love for them can not be put into words. They will be coming Saturday for mothers Day and sick or not I will be out of the bed and rejoice in their love. We only get on life to live and I know I live it to the fullest everyday and share with my family the gift of love as my mother did with me. I am very proud of my family and they do know how much I love them. I thank them for the gift of love they give me every day and that is why I will do whatever it takes to beat this, with all my love MOM

Donna King Rothermel May 8, 2012 at 03:39 pm

Whoops! We were from Maple Glen, PA!

Tina Olson-Wilkins May 8, 2012 at 03:42 pm

My Mother was her older brother's first birthday gift. It was 1942. She was very lucky to live after multiple surgeries before her own first birthday. The cause of her birth defects were never determined and she grew to be a very happy child. She never met her father as he was killed soon after her birth in WW2.
Her family did not even realize that she was rather deaf, even though she was born with one ear, she had taught herself how to lip read and spoke normally. My mother and incredible force of fierce love and intelligence. Her life has been difficult as the prejudices regarding her appearance and deafness were often treated with cruelty. She never let that hold her back! She preaches against bitterness and when talking to her, she reminds me to be thankful, grateful, and to love first. She has taught me the strength it requires to be a good person and now a mother myself. She named me Christina, after the Dolly Parton song. If you listen to the song it is obvious how much she cherishes me too! She works very hard everyday as a sales associate at WalMart and cares for my father as he is currently a nursing home. Happy Mother's Day to all! Tina Hellertown, PA

Julie McCormick May 8, 2012 at 06:52 pm

Forgot to include hometown: Broomall

Kathryn Hilderbrand May 8, 2012 at 08:03 pm

My mother was a very caring women who raised 6 children - 5 boys and 1 girl. She never turned anyone away and was always ready to put on an extra plate, make up an extra bed or extra meal for the needy. My point, I guess that trickled down. Her good example lives on. Many years ago my brothers wife walked out on him and a young daughter. I opened my home to help as my mom would & got the most wonderful reward. I never had children biologically & thought that was Gods plan, and excepted that, till Becky needed a mother figure in her life, one day led to another our love deepened to that of a Mother/Daughter. Her first Mothers Day after arriving in my home, she made a drawing for me "I LOVE YOU MOM" my heart melted. (Never thought those words were ment for me) There were so many concerns for her future, with the example of her "Bio-Mom". However the trickle of my mom's love,and example did what maternal lineage should do. I call my niece. "My daughter" and I am "Her Mom" I am so happy to say today she is a loving "MOM" of two boys and a shinning example of what a Mom "should" be. If you read this far you now know this is a story of "Three Generations of Moms" I thank God for my mother and what she taught me as God did have a plan for me.To be gifted with "my daughter" and teach her how to be the best "Mom" and that all mom's are not bad, if they are...you CAN change the pattern. Thank You for reading and God Bless all women who mother and make a change in the life of a child!

Angela Geiger May 8, 2012 at 08:05 pm

My mom can be described in three words: Kind, strong, supportive. She of course taught my sisters and I the basics: talking, walking, abc's and 123's. But she also taught us right from wrong, helped us all build a strong character, taught us manners and how to be respectful. Growing up she stayed home with us while my dad worked and once we hit the school age she went right back to work to help give us not only what we needed, but everything we wanted (within reason of course). Then she became involved with the same fire company my dad belongs to. That's when she taught me what it's like to be so proud. She was the first female to accomplish a lot within the department and continues to hold her ground. She runs into the burning building with one goal: to help. Now, she is helping teach the same basic's to my niece and after the summer when my little one arrives she'll be doing the same with the first little boy of the family. My mom has been the backbone, the strongest support system and just an overall inspirational person. Happy Mother's Day Mom!
Lansdale, Pa

Liam Ronan May 8, 2012 at 08:48 pm

Well said, Rose! You forgot to mention your Mom is a calligrapher too. That must help with deciphering everyone's handwriting. Uncle Joe, County Cork
P.S. I'll wager you'd have never guessed I read The Patch over here in Ireland.

Sandy Olszta May 8, 2012 at 09:27 pm

I know this is a contest about our mom’s but I decided to be different and write about me. I was a single mom for so many years. Working full-time and still trying to find time to spend with my daughter was no easy task, as I am sure many of you know. I managed to raise a beautiful little girl into this extraordinary woman that she is today. I couldn’t be more proud. She has a full-time job at a law firm and she studies at night to someday become a lawyer herself. I never had to worry about her falling with the wrong crowd because she always rose above the influence. She is respectful and kind, always willing to help another. We never had much, but what I could give her, she was always thankful. Not too long ago, I watched her as she was walking home from the bus stop. There were children playing ball and as it bounced at her feet, I thought “Oh no, not while she has her best clothes on”, but much to my surprise, she leaned over, picked up the ball and began to play with the kids. I could do nothing but watch. When she finally walked in the door, I said to her “How did I do such a good job with you, when we struggled at times and nothing on other occasions”. She put her arms around me and said with a hug, I guess you had a good teacher. So in the end, this is about my grandmother who raised me. Thanks Nan!

Donna Mugler May 8, 2012 at 11:47 pm

I’m so grateful, not for what my mom taught me, but for what she didn’t teach me. She didn’t teach me to show up for work on time, she taught me to be early. She didn’t teach me to do your job, she taught me to always do more. She didn’t teach me to love the finer things, but she did teach me that gravy on bread was a great dinner, and that no one’s name needed to be on my jeans. She didn’t teach me to be a girl, she taught me to be a strong woman.

D.D. May 9, 2012 at 01:45 am

My Fantasy Mother
My Fantasy Mother would tell me she loved me everyday. She would snuggle in bed with me at bedtime and read me stories. She would take me for walks and hold my hand. She would tell me how proud of me she was when I accomplished something important. Her house would be full of love and laughter and possibilities. She would never favor one child over another. She would help me make decisions that would have lasting impacts on my life. She would never wash my mouth out with soap. I sometimes wonder how I ended up with my mother instead of your mother.

justwondering May 9, 2012 at 02:39 am

Sounds like she may have given you the gift of insight and creativity, based on your writing............All those things you wish for - bring that spirit to others. Become what you desire. Godspeed to you.

Jason Chew May 9, 2012 at 04:03 am

my mom didnt always give me what i wanted but gave me what i needed. she thought me not to count my days but to make my days count. she thought me to stand my ground and to do what i belive is right. as a nurse she always put the needs of others before her own. she thought me that life is short and make the best out of it, live every day like your last because tomorrow is not promissed. she showed me love, care and displine. she made me who i am today, thats why you are/were the best mother. i will always remember you. i love and miss you.

Pat Bosha May 9, 2012 at 12:22 pm

My Mom deserved to have a better life than she did. Shortly after I was born, my father bailed out of the marriage and left her to raise me by herself---this during the time when women didn't have the career opportunities that they now enjoy. She labored long hours in a textile factory, and then, when I was about 13, took a job with the post office, where she retired after 31 years. She was always there for me, whether it was to help me get through a stinky divorce, help me out financially or just lend an ear when I needed to sound off to someone. She adored my kids and spoiled them as most grandparents do. For her "reward," she was diagnosed with bladder cancer, which then spread to her kidneys, ovaries and finally into her bones. She was hospitalized several time for surgeries and treatments; because she passed away during the night, I received a terrible phone call from the hospital early on a Saturday morning telling me she had died. I never got the chance to say goodbye and regretfully, I never told her just how much she meant to me. I know she's in Heaven, and I hope she's reading this now. Mom, I love you and miss you.

Mike May 9, 2012 at 02:26 pm

“One of seven boys?” Such was the incredulous refrain of my youth whenever someone discovered our mother had seven sons. It was quickly followed up with an empathetic: “God bless your mom.”
Indeed, she was blessed – with many unenviable records held in the Maternal Hall of Fame: number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made; shoelaces tied; pants hemmed; emergency rooms visited; flowers trampled; spelling words tested; games attended; restless nights spent worrying; and Advil taken. Mom is indeed one for the record books, and I suppose she has her seven sons to thank for that!

Jason Pikul May 9, 2012 at 04:38 pm

My wife and I would always comment that to a fault, my Mom put her kids (and then her grandkids) ahead of herself every day of the week, and twice on Sunday! After a short but courageous fight against lung cancer, my Mom passed away a mere 2 days before my first son was born. She had seen at least one kid born from each of my siblings but never got to see any of my children being born. Up until the minute of her death, I could see her fighting to stay alive just to hear the news about the birth of my first. The question soon became what would I do if my Mom passed and the funeral was the same day as my first being born. I decided to let fate decide. And being the great Mom that I had, she made it easy for me by not having me in a position to have to make a decision. She passed on a Monday and my son was born on Wednesday. I was now able to see my first being born and still make it to the viewings and funeral on Friday. That's my Mom. Giving up everything, including fighting for her life, for us. I miss her every day.

JLapent May 9, 2012 at 06:22 pm

Joanne Lapent
My Mom raised 6 children on her own, and has been hard of hearing for 50 years so it was a struggle for her to get a job to support us when my Dad left when I was just 10 years old. All 6 of us kids grew up with healthy, strong and respectful. She is a great mother, and with me being second to the youngest of the 6, I am 50 years old now, she is STILL there for me if I ever need anything. I had my daughter at 19 years old, and she helped me raise her. My Mom is now 82 years young, and I am blessed that I still have her in my life. It is hard for me when she needs me to help plan her funeral because it is something that I never want to think about....but I am honored that she repsects my opinion. Love you Mom, Happy Mother's Day.

JLapent May 9, 2012 at 06:23 pm

Joanne Lapent
My Mom raised 6 children on her own, and has been hard of hearing for 50 years so it was a struggle for her to get a job to support us when my Dad left when I was just 10 years old. All 6 of us kids grew up with healthy, strong and respectful. She is a great mother, and with me being second to the youngest of the 6, I am 50 years old now, she is STILL there for me if I ever need anything. I had my daughter at 19 years old, and she helped me raise her. My Mom is now 82 years young, and I am blessed that I still have her in my life. It is hard for me when she needs me to help plan her funeral because it is something that I never want to think about....but I am honored that she repsects my opinion. Love you Mom, Happy Mother's Day. Philadelphia, Pa

Center Valley Citizen May 10, 2012 at 02:59 pm

In the wake of my grandmother's recent passing, my mother has taught me the most important thing of all - strength.

Leo Behe May 10, 2012 at 05:16 pm

My mom corrected my grammar all the time. This always impressed me, because I was about ten at the time. She also manages to take care of eight children, three cats and a dog every day. Lord knows I cannot fathom what kind of mental condition possessed her to choose a 24-hour workday with no tangible paycheck, but she did it, and here we are, very much the better for it. I would wish her a long life, but considering her diet of fruits, vegetables and the tears of illiterate youth, she doesn't need the help. Love you, Mom.

Jacob Buttery May 10, 2012 at 05:59 pm

My mom, Carol Louise Snyder, epitomizes maternal sacrifice. Possessed by a desire to see her offspring happy, yet simultaneously sobered by a duty to instill values such as integrity and respect in her kids, my mother devoted her life to looking out for her children's best interest. As a single mom, she worked two jobs so that she could earn enough money to keep us a house close to our friends, yet still managed to be at all the baseball games, Hi-Q matches, and wrestling tournaments that we, her children, decided were important. I specifically recall my mom crying one time, and the indelible image will remind we why I can only hope to honor her for the rest of my days: she was crying because her dad died. Good parenting is never the easy thing to do, but good parents prepare us for the rest of our lives.
Jacob P. Buttery

mark forcinito May 11, 2012 at 02:44 am

My mother, Martha Forcinito, is a very strong person who needs something she has given my recently deceased father and the rest of our family "LOVE". My mother has basicly given up her last nine months to completely take care of my father who was suffering with liver cancer and she did everything for him( I mean everything). This was very hard for her because she is in her mid 60's and my father become bed ridden and she took care of him and made his last few months as comfortable as possible considering the circumstances. IT was extremely hard for her because he wouldnt allow her to get any help in the form of a nurse or aid. Throughout our lives she took care of us(four children) and when we left she took care of my father. I love her and want everyone to know that she did an amazing job taking care of my father,
Mark

Celeste Behe May 11, 2012 at 03:31 am

“What, you don’t want to eat the dinner I made you? Then drop dead!” Those words, which my mother often addressed to me during my childhood, speak volumes about the woman I called Mom. She was a devoted Italian mother who expressed her maternal love through her cooking. But she was also a high-strung woman whose frazzled nerves often caused her to speak without thinking. I relish the memory of Mom serving a dish of pasta with a side of insult. Her meals were well-rounded, but her tongue was as sharp as aged Parmesan. Mamma mia! How I loved her!

Chantelle May 11, 2012 at 12:28 pm

My mother is a woman whom I admire and adore. She has done her absolute best to raise my siblings and myself and through all of the adversity that she has faced she has done a phenomenal job. I am in awe at all that she has accomplished and overcome in my lifetime. She is a woman that radiates kindness and is loved by all who know her. I love and respect her and am grateful to have been blessed to have her as mine.
For Peggy from Norristown from Chantelle with all of my love.