Happy Mother's Day - A personal Tribute

(By Marina Spanos) -  I have been blessed with a great number of amazing and influential people throughout my life. From both my siblings Johanne and James who I unconditionally love, to little Petro who has uplifted my soul, to long-standing high school friends who allowed me to be myself such as Stella, to mentors who helped me make the most of myself and loved me without any conditions such as my beloved Mike up to my best friend Mary (and her two kids) who I totally adore. Throughout this incredible journey there have been two people who have always looked out for me, loved me in their own unique manner and always wanted my best interests. These two people are my father and mother.

Without taking away the appreciation that I have and will always have for my father, and on the occasion of Mother's Day, I want to introduce you to my mother, because I truly believe that every home should have a mom like Kanella.

Her name in Greek means Cinnamon, and as sweet as that sounds she truly is a blessing to anyone she comes into contact with. She is an excellent example of love, the most selfless human that I know of, the glue that literally holds my family together, a Godly, genuine, non-judgmental woman and someone whom I strive to be like each and everyday -or at least hope to-. Without insufficiently stating her impact and influence on the person I am and still aspire to become, I must say she is the most exceptional person I know.

My mother is the perfect role model mom because she is an amazingly strong, determined and resilient woman who has taught me the importance of being a woman with high morals and values. An  extraordinary character, a classy lady despite her poor education, a woman of substance, faith, and loyalty and I am so proud to say that I am her daughter.

I want her to know that I have always been amazed by her good nature and positive spirit, given the way she was raised. Both she and my father grew up during the Greek Depression and when she married him at the young age of 17 she was already a young woman who knew the meaning of struggle.

Thinking about it now, I realize that my mother set the tone of our lives back then. The Depression and all its deprivation might have entered our home when we were bratty, greedy youngsters, but Mother never let it enter our hearts.

She is also a machine, in every sense of the word. She works hard, takes care of a household, insists on shoveling the snow and not investing in a snow blower, will cook up a storm if she is expecting company, tend to her rose garden and even find time in the same day to bake all her kids (and neighbors) koulourakia. Not even an industrial plant can do that all in one day, but Kanella can.

I remember resenting her in my teens for not being a typical Canadian mom, for being strict and tough with us at times, for working too many hours and neglecting us and even for not speaking enough English. Today of course this is all laughable because her stance allowed me to enter life's jungle without a care, appreciate my Greek heritage and be the best person I could be.

As I look back on my life, I find myself wondering if I ever thanked her for everything she has done for me. I also wonder if I ever really showed this amazing woman how much I appreciated her throughout the years for being by my side during my successes, my failures and my countless defeats.

Did I every let her know how much I valued her for teaching me good judgement, courage and patience?

Did I ever really let her know how much I appreciate her every word for all the simple things she so unconditionally gave and taught me?

I confess… I probably never did, or at least not as much as I would have wanted to and as I watch her aging, I wonder if I will ever be given the opportunity to place into words what I actually feel for her in my heart.

After my beloved Mike's passing, I realized that time is too short to write down all the feelings and memories you share with people in your life and Lord knows I have shared more than a truckload with Kanella throughout my life's journey. She put up with all of it, and never once complained and this is why I need to let her know what she really means to me before its too late. With that said, and being thousands of miles away from her today, I find myself thinking a lot about her and wondering if I am living life as she had hoped I would. I may suppress my emotions for many reasons, but I always express them on paper for those who pay attention.

So here goes:

     "Manoula, thank you for never neglecting my needs, for always believing in me and never giving up hope that one day things will turn around for your daughter. If I knew as a child what I know now, then I would never have made things so difficult for you. I know I wasn’t a model child, and you probably never expected to raise such a free spirited soul. I deeply apologize for that but I know you appreciate my uniqueness. You always looked out for my best interests even though it may have not seemed so to me while I was growing up. However, I want you to know that even during those difficult moments it was my ego and pride that prevented me from running into your arms and admitting that you were right.
      Please know that you planted the seed that I base my life on, and are the map I follow with every step. You are my role model, my teacher, my mentor, my foundation, the most honorable person I know and nothing on earth can ever surpass the love, respect and honour I feel for you. Literally… nothing! Not time, not space and certainly not even death…
     Johanne, James, dad, and I love and appreciate you deeply and I know I speak for all of them when I say that we pray everyday for your good health and well-being.
Happy Mother’s Day Σ'αγαπω