Today I will tell you about my December rose..
my mother was born in December and today is..
*the 1st anniversary of her passing.
For many who have followed my blog I have shared
past posts I've written about my mother.
The bond between mother and child is everlasting
and throughout my difficult journey this last year
I have felt my mothers presence giving me courage
as only a mother can.
My mother was gifted in a unique way in discovering her own special light. She lived with small moments of thankfulness for each new day. She was not a slave to her own painful past, one of being sent to a forced labor camp in Germany during the 2nd world war at age 15.
She dove deep and swam far so she could SURVIVE with self respect
and a determination to LIVE.
The purpose of life is to find happiness and she did when she met my father after the war ended. Harmoniously with the hope that life will be better, they looked in the direction of their dreams.
Theirs was to be a transient life, one with new horizons and far in the distance a country with the promise of opportunity. They arrived in Canada in 1951 settling into the northern Ontario town . Her dream was shattered when my father died a year later leaving her widowed and a single mother of 2 young children. Her heart I'm sure was torn a thousand ways; alone, lost, not able to speak English, with the pain of grief washing over her.
Once her heart had cleared her eyes of tears, with the determination to survive, she opened them and met her second husband.
My mother was gifted with another child a second brother.
Sadly this marriage was to be a life full of jagged edges, empty spaces between them,
and abuse due to his alcoholism.
She was determined not to fall victim to the silence of brooding anger and poverty. Mother worked fiercely to hold our family together when she decided to work outside the home washing dishes for 50 cents an hr. at a local restaurant. This was to be the beginning of many odd jobs in the restaurant business, one of long hours with minimum wage. This allowed her to hold onto her children, to provide us with shelter, & the necessities of everyday life.
Growing up I gained strength from her courage to overcome the many dark tunnels in her life. I learned that it is not the QUANTITY of time spent with your children but the QUALITY.
Accepting the forces of her path in life, once again my mother was widowed. To allow her dark shadows to pass she moved forward once again in the direction of her dream in hopes of a happier and fulfilled life.
She relocated to the city Toronto with a teenage son. My older brother was
already there attending the College of Art and I was newly married beginning my life.
She ensured her own financial security with specific goals that ultimately enabled her to make her loftiest dreams come true. Together with my brothers she searched for and purchased a house in the heart of the city. She rented out rooms in her 3 storey house & several tenants became friends that she kept continuous contact with over the years. She found employment as a short order cook at the Four Seasons Hotel and enjoyed a full social life with fellow employees & occasionally hobnobbing with a movie star or celebrity that stayed and dined
at the Four Seasons Hotel.
She knew how to work hard for her money, about budgeting, not having debt, paying off her mortgage, about saving and investing to build her financial security.
She was able to travel around the globe countless times from the Icefields of the Rockies to Australia and back home to her place of birth. Yugoslavia is where she was able to unite with her only surviving sibling her brother.
The sudden death of my older brother once again rocked her world
yet again she triumphed over this deeply painful loss.
My mother never allowed her emotional hurdles to prevent her from developing a positive attitude in achieving her goals in life.
After retiring from the Four Seasons she allowed her creative spirit to soar.
She filled her days with knitting and crocheting creating her own patterns in the numerous afghans, slippers, socks, sweaters and infant wear she was known for. She enjoyed watching TV shows "The Young and the Restless" and "Wheel of Fortune". She would join the many fans when these actors and entertainers would make guest appearances
in various venues in the city Toronto.
She Volunteered her time at several hospitals and donated much of what she knit .
She received many recognitions and long service awards for her dedication.
She was a woman ahead of her time. The Food Network has no chef more passionate than my mother. Her cooking and baking skills of authentic European cuisine was a work of art. She could take an onion, noodles and cabbage and prepare "comfort food." She took great pleasure in offering and sharing the fabulous dishes she prepared and always made it an unforgettable experience. She was a guest featured on a local cooking programme called "Loving Spoonfulls" on a Toronto television station. Her light shone brightly as she enjoyed her celebrity moments.
The flavour of my mothers fabulous cooking lingers forever in my memories.
She was an avid swimmer who enjoyed her regular exercise in the pool at her local swimming club. She spent many winters on the sunny beaches of Cuba enjoying the sun, sand, and particularly the solitude, peace, and contentment during her brief vacations by the sea.
My mother the ultimate free spirit!
My mother was not a lady who wore jewels that glittered.
Her worldly wealth and the necklace she proudly wore was linked by
the loving arms of her children and grandchildren.
She believed a single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions.
One act of kindness leads to another.
My mother had a magnetic character, the rarest combination of practical, moral,
spiritual and the least selfish of all people.
Her gentle passing into the better world beyond the horizon..
brings me peace.
"ALL THAT I AM OR HOPE TO BE I OWE TO MY ANGEL MOTHER. "
Puffball-like blossoms from the Guajillo shrub
burst in bloom and overpowers
Our winter home located in Scottsdale Arizona 
