Donna Shields: Extraordinary Moms

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Extraordinary Moms

I know it's not Mother's Day. But, I feel any day and every day should be. I'm talking about everyone's mother. The one who goes beyond the normal everyday routine. The one who is there when you're sick, even after you're grown up and she still comes over, sits with you, makes you chicken noodle soup, and in my case - took me to the hospital cause I couldn't even keep that down. The extraordinaire who makes the boo boos go away with a simple kiss. The tears dry up with a single hug. The sore throat go away with the honey she made me swallow, even though I nearly gagged every time, lol. But it worked and she knew it would.

No one really knows the true extent of being a mother (or a father too) until it happens to you. And you hope like hell you're doing everything right. And after awhile, you realize she gave you the right tools to raise your own. When you need back up, when you're at your absolute wits end, you call upon that extraordinary mother of yours and cry into the phone about it all. And you know what she says? "It's all gonna be okay. Kick some butt." That was my mom. She was there for my first three births. And 20 minutes after my fourth (although I don't remember as it was an emergency c-section). She's been through two marriages of mine. And that's only me. She raised 9 children and helped with 23 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren (even if some were only by phone.) And all the son and daughter in laws and all of our friends. Yes, she considered them a part of her family too.

And she made her fair share of mistakes. What mom hasn't? You learn as you go. But, she was and still is perfect in my eyes. If she could, she would have moved mountains.

In Secrets of Jenkins Bridge, I tried to portray my heroine, Katherine, in the same light. Her daughter's been kidnapped, and she doesn't want to just sit and wait. And she decides enough is enough and goes on the hunt to find her daughter no matter what. Which, of course, doesn't please my hero, Mitchell. But, what mother wouldn't go out and try against all odds to find her daughter or son? She's a mom. And like all moms, Katherine won't stop until she finds her.

My mother as you know passed away last month. If I can be half the mom she was, I think I'll do okay in passing that same knowledge and experience along to my own children.

Here's a toast to all extraordinary moms out there. If your mom is still alive, please tell her you love her and thank her for all she's done.

The Swan Cove Murders: Where the dead speak to her, danger finds her, and love saves her.
Secrets of Jenkins Bridge:An FBI agent discovers more than embezzling and murder when he takes on the kidnapping case of the daughter he never knew he had.

Both now available at Soul Mate Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble