Cathy: Dear Mom. First memories are so often factually inaccurate but revealing in so many other ways. My earliest memory is of you coming home in your nursing uniform. I see you in a starched cap, a white dress, and a navy cape. You are looking up from the bottom on the back stairs of 11 Hardy Crescent. I’m at the top of the stairs. On my right there is a small shelf Dad has made to hold mittens and caps. It is a happy memory. Patty says that these kinds of memories are formed because they are outside the ordinary routine. I can’t think why this would be out of the ordinary because your children have always come first for you. I think one of the most marvelous things you used to do is wake Patty up when you got home so you and she could have some time together. No matter how crazy the house could get or how zany the schedules you always made sure we knew that we could count on you: to counsel, to drive, to be there, to comfort, to bandage whatever was bleeding. As I try to raise my children, I am too often exasperated, frustrated and confused. I have always been able to call you and be given sensible, helpful advice. I am so grateful that you came to see me when Caitlin was a newborn. Once you were there everything was doable whereas before it had been overwhelming and beyond coping. I am very proud to have you as my mother. I am amazed and impressed by how you have lived. You have lived through so many events of crisis proportions not only surviving them but, not by not being defeated by them you have come out stronger. You are able to attract people and make new friends. You have a strong sense of integrity and morality which is both comforting and inspiring. Happy Birthday Mom! Love Cathy Karen: As Mum is her mother, I am she and my daughter Jennifer is me. The character is ingrained so deeply and I am very proud to carry the traits. This however was not always a good thing - I am speaking of my teenage yet where I learned two MacDonald women couldn't share the same living space. Looking back over my 40 years I marvel at her strength. Life was not always easy for her but through it all I knew I was loved – even when I really didn't deserve to be. Thankfully Mum and I managed not to kill one another and in fact went on to become the close friends we are today. I remember she would spontaneously grab me to dance to an imaginary orchestra in the kitchen - humiliating me and making me laugh at the same time. I remember making the mistake of asking her what PUBLIC hair was (after misreading it in a book). Let me tell you I learned more than I ever cared to from that one question. And of course it became another opportunity to remind me about my very fertile heritage. Ick - we all hated when that topic came up! I remember the ice cream at the counter at Woolworths. Money was tight but when Mum started back to work one of her priorities was to offer this simple extravagance. It was wonderful. When I felt ugly, she told me I was beautiful; when my grades at school dictated otherwise, she told me I could do anything; when I felt fat she told me I was not; when I cried she held me and when I rebelled she fought harder. Our home was always a sanctuary and of this she made sure. To this day, we always phone "home" for help and we unfailingly receive it. So much more we were unaware until we had our own children. Only then could we truly appreciate the sacrifice and dedication she devoted to us. She will tell you though that it was all worth it – and I thank her from depths of my soul. Happy birthday to an amazing and inspiring Mother! Love always, Karen Patty: Mom, As a child, many things and many memories stand out. Like Karen, I remember dancing in your arms and laughing; your love of music and dancing shining through. I regret not inheriting your dancing ability, but regardless, I dance with my children in my arms, hoping that their memories will be as happy as mine. I cannot remember ever taking a major field trip in all my years at Glenmore, where you were not with me. I truly don't know if that's because you were always with me, or if because when you were with me, they were so much more special. Whether it was Seattle and the Space Needle, or Victoria and the Provincial Museum, or as the Camp Nurse at Artiban, you were always there for me. Despite being one of five busy children, you always ·made time for each of us alone. There was never a time in my life when I doubted your love for me, or any of us. Even today, If l require medical advice, it's to you I turn; if I need a babysitter, I know that I can count on you. You were the Rock of Gibraltar for our family, our fan in the stands, and our defender at school. There is a motto that could have been written for you: In a hundred years, no one will care how much money you had, How big your house was, or what kind of car you drove, But the world may be a better place because you made a difference in The life of a child. In fact, not only did you make a difference in the lives of your own children, but in the lives of all of our friends, acquaintances, and even some of our enemies, and you are still making a difference in the lives of your 6 mn (so far) grandchildren. Thank you for your unconditional love and support. You are my role model. Much love, and Happy Birthday, Patty Brian: Over the last ten years or so I have had the chance to see what parenting is all about through my siblings and friends. Even then I only touch the tip of the iceberg, as I am not around the kids 24/7. Nonetheless, I have had enough exposure to know parenting is no easy task. I am talking about parents with one or two kids and I hear about their trials and tribulations of raising their kid(s). It is at those moments that I think of you. How you managed to raise five kids all on average about two years apart. Add in the mix that one of the kids, that being me, was born with a host of complications. No doubt I brought on a lot of stress to your already busy child-rearing era. All those years of taking me to see one specialist after another. I can always remember you having to tell me I have to go in for surgery…. again! I knew it killed you to have to give that news to me. All I can say, Mum, thank god I had you at my bedside when I was at my most vulnerable moments … fresh out of surgery. Knowing that I had somebody at my bedside looking out for my best interest made it that much easier for me to make a speedy recovery. I can't remember whether I have told you this or not. Evan has said on a number of occasions to me that our family is not "normal". He has always been impressed with how well we all get along and that we all hold down responsible jobs. I have always known how lucky I am to be a part of a family where everybody gets along. If this isn't a testament to your parenting skill, I don't know what is. Anyways, Mum, you should be proud of your accomplishments in life, as I know we are all proud of you. Happy Birthday, Lots of love, Brian