During the month of May, the annual tradition of honoring our moms is a heralded event. This year it takes on an extremely nostalgic meaning for me because of the “Moms” in my life. I became a mom for the first time on Mother’s Day in 1998. It was a surreal experience to welcome my eldest son, John, on such a special day and become a member of an awe-inspiring club.
The photo above captures the essence of great role-model moms for me. My son, John, is flanked by both of his grandmothers in this picture, taken last May at his senior violin recital and high school graduation party that my husband and I threw for him at the Annesdale Mansion here in Memphis. My elegant mother, Earnestine Rodgers Robinson, is wearing green, and the other lovely lady is his paternal grandmother, Patricia C. McKissack. This is an especially treasured photo now. As I pen this editor’s note, we are preparing to lay Pat, or “Mum” as her grandkids called her, to rest. She will be sorely missed.
Pat doted on John, and my other two sons and daughter, from the moment they arrived in this world. She lived in St. Louis, but the day John was born she happened to be visiting family in Nashville. Though my mother was my very first visitor to see baby John in the wee hours of the morning, Pat and my father-in-law hightailed it to Memphis in what seemed like record time. My husband and I were shocked to see her walking through the hospital room door a mere 2 ½ hours after he was born. She said she had to “lay hands” on her first grandchild as soon as possible. Pat adored my children and another grandson who lives in Indiana. But she truly loved all children. She shared that passion for young people through a prolific writing career as an accomplished children’s book author. In fact, Memphis Parent featured an article about her, “The Art of Storytelling,” in the April 2015 issue. You can read the archived story online at memphisparent.com.
So this Mother’s Day, I salute my own mom, who is nothing short of amazing, and my husband’s mom, an incredible woman who mothered me like I was her own. I encourage you to do the same. Celebrate the women in your life, whether they are your own mother or a mother-like figure. And moms, don’t forget to celebrate Y-O-U. You deserve it.
I also want to congratulate one of our own moms here at Memphis Parent. Meena Viswanathan, our longtime calendar editor, hails from Collierville. She recently won a national award from the Parenting Media Association for her calendar section that we enjoy every month. Meena reaches out to so many different people and groups to bring you a comprehensive list chock-full of fun, informative, and exciting events going on around town. Kudos Meena!
Finally, here’s a special shout-out to another great mom, Dr. Dellwyn Turnipseed. Thank you! Her practice, The Dental Connection, became our first-ever sponsor of the Memphis Parent Cover Kids Contest because who doesn’t love a healthy smile?! It’s support such as this that helps us continue to bring you the wonderful resource of Memphis Parent as a free publication. We received so many fabulous entries for the contest. I wish I could feature every last one of them on the cover. Enjoy checking out all of the winning faces of our cover kid contestants.
Happy Parenting!