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Show 10 spena ine ciay wixn youf Continued from Page 8 mean those whose mothers are no longer alive but those who have never been lucky enough to have a close bond with their mothers. Although I had an unhappy childhood, I still used to buy my mother a card and a gift each year to acknowledge that she had still fed and clothed me and provided a roof over my head. The Mother's Day that I remember most was the one when I was ten years old, the one where my mother threw back at me the gift I had presented pre-sented to her, saying, "What would I want with this? You might as well keep it." Maybe she didn't mean it nastily and maybe she hadn't intended to deliver her words in such a hurtful manner but, nevertheless, I was mortified. When she had left my room, I curled up into a ball and sobbed. I wanted my Gran, the one with whom I had a real mother-daughter relationship and ing thank you gestures. I no longer focus on the negative neg-ative but the positive. As a mother myself, I derive pleasure pleas-ure from the love that my children chil-dren and I give to each other and the appreciation that I am able to show to my stepmother, my father and all the other people in my life who have never failed to show that they care. The word mother means to nurture, protect, care for, nurse or tend. It doesn't just mean "a woman in relation to a child to whom she has given birth." While it must be tremendously tremen-dously painful for a son or daughter to lose their mother, especially if they have had a close, nurturing relationship, there are many other people who are deserving of the accolade acco-lade "mother." Mothers who have passed on can be recognized posthumously posthu-mously year after year but this shows how important it is to also appreciate those existing people in your life whom you care deeply about and who have supported you in the JS oiugic niums uuu uuub I'm sure that most of us know a single mom or dad who deserves to be treated and shown appreciation. Single parents, particularly those who aren't fortunate enough to have family living close by, do not often have anyone to whom they can hand over the demanding task of childcare in the evenings, when they are sick, when they work or when they have any other pressing engagement or appointment. While there is not such a thing as a non-working parent, single parents often have a raw deal when it comes to calling for assistance in times of need. If you know of a single parent par-ent whose children are too young to be able to initiate a surprise themselves, why not help them to organize something some-thing special for their mom or dad? Sometimes older children may need prompting too. If you have time on your hands and don't have a huge family to cater for yourself, why not arrange to take the children off of the parent's hands for a few Sometimes these parents may feel too proud or may not have the courage to ask for help. Offering your support on Mother's Day is a way of letting let-ting them know that you are available to rally round if necessary, without making them feel that you are intruding or implying that they can't cope. Recognizing those you love and those who have loved you is not a difficult task. Sometimes the simplest of gestures ges-tures can mean so much more than the most expensive gift: a few words of comfort, a hug and a listening ear, for example. exam-ple. For those who have lost mothers and children, although it may be painful, spend time remembering happy moments of love and joy. Their love lives on in you and is what gives you the strength to give love to others. Finally, pamper yourself and allow yourself to be pampered. Reprinted by permission Jrom Myria.com a a Mot fiefs Dm Speciaf BRING IN THIS AD AND RECEIVE 20 OFF ANYTHING IN THE STORE (Offer expires 5102003) PERSONAL SERVICE IS OUR SPECIALTY Sportswear Dresses Blouses Jackets Accessories Free Gift Wrap to make your Mother's Day Shopping Easier! Your favorite store with many of your favorite brands Carol Anderson, Koret, Alfred Dunner Telluride, Gotcha Covered, Scarlett, Jessica Howard, Graff, Erika, Ethyl Shorts and more... 650 East State Street, American Fork 756-2460 Mon - Sat 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Serving the Community for 17 Years tit - r r SOFT STOP WOOD CHIPS clean & soft for alt playground areas Water Savings 24'-; - 50 with Enviromoist Polymers Injection HIGHEST QUALITY AND GREA T PRICES Call for Free Estimates j Shredded bark (I" Supreme) : Med. bark chips i Sm bark chips j Bark fines (OGC) Soil pep ; (soil conditioners) I Garden mix Topsoil : Rainbow rock I White marble rock : Purple jasper rock : Jericho rose rock : Soma rock : Pea gravel : (Tan & Gray) : Cobble rock (6 Sizes) I Red, Gray.Tan I River rock 'Washed sand 'nend.y Staff o a r; n n ri n n 9 |