Yes, I know it’s a few days after Mother’s Day, but why should that be an excuse to not talk about the special women who have had such an amazing influence on my life?
I’ve been blessed with special, special people, starting with my own mother Pat.
She continues to amaze me every day with her strength, her heart and her devotion to our family.
Now retired after a successful and rewarding career in various sales positions, including 20 years with the Coquitlam NOW newspaper, she is spending her time these days on herself — which is a very good thing — doting on her two grandchildren, Payton and Declan, and enjoying the good life travelling the world with my father when time allows.
Last weekend she hosted a dinner at my parents’ house in Coquitlam where my brother and his girlfriend and my sister, her husband and two awesome children and I had a wonderful time, sharing a delicious meal and many bottles of great wine, celebrating several May birthdays and an early Mother’s Day.
My mom worked for two days to prepare the feast, which was so appreciated by all of us. I cherish these moments with my entire family. They don’t happen as often as we would like with me living on the Sunshine Coast, my sister and her husband in Delta and my brother and his girlfriend in Port Moody, but the glue that keeps everyone together is my mom.
And she has passed those traits over to my sister Monique. She is an amazing cook and an amazing young mother.
Three years ago tragedy struck our family when my sister had complications and lost her twin boys four months before they were due. It was a devastating time for us all, but my sister bounced back and was fortunate to get pregnant again with Payton, who was born two years ago this August.
Luck was on their side again, as Declan came along a year later. Watching Monique grow into an amazing young woman and now a mother is truly heart-warming. I learn from my younger sister every day what it means to be kind, caring and thoughtful.
She challenges me, along with my mother, and my relationships with both have only strengthened over the years.
The Jacques’ bloodlines have my two grandmothers to thank for the work ethic and passion we all have.
My mother’s mom Ann was a hearty and loving soul who started my mom’s path on a farm in rural Saskatchewan. She was an amazing lady who we all loved dearly. I spent many holidays at their home in Regina when they moved from the farm and was taught a few life lessons that still resonate with me today.
My other grandmother, my father’s mother Virgie, was again instilled with that hard work ethic and prairie blood. My dad grew up in a small town where they owned a gas station. Later Virgie moved to Regina and then Winnipeg, where we shared countless vacations on the lake and at their cabin.
Both my grandmothers have passed on, but they have left a lasting legacy in our family — especially among the female members of our clan.
All continue to play an important role in my life.
Happy Mother’s Day to you all. I wouldn’t be the person I am without you.
