Mothers Are Truly Special!

Mothers Are Truly Special!

Darrel Hammon

When I think of mothers, I quickly think of two people: my own mother and the mother of my two beautiful daughters. They both played a very special place in my life.

My own mother had eight children. I was number three. Having eight children kept her more than busy, especially knowing the personalities of all my siblings, me included. I just cannot imagine cooking for eight children. Of course, we all didn’t come together; and we certainly didn’t leave together. But in ten years, from 1953 to 1963, six children were born to my mother and father. Now, this is the first time I have realized the number of children my mother had in one decade. Wow, Mom, you were incredible!

As I was growing up, my mother was the one who took us to church, made sure our beds were made, and clothes picked up off the floor, arrived to meetings always fifteen minutes early, made sure we did our scout stuff, taught us how to bottle everything in our garden, and helped us understand that work was important.

I can remember my mother coming into my room at night because she heard me moan and groan. My legs hurt. She told me that they hurt because I was growing and sometimes legs just hurt as they grew. She sat at the foot of my bed and rubbed my legs until I fell back asleep. While she stayed up late to take care of children, she was always the first one awake and made sure we had breakfast before we left for school.

Overall, my mother was a good woman who tried to teach us what we needed to do. Thanks, Mom!

Now, Joanne, the mother of my two children, Anna Rose and Hailey, is spectacular! She has been the best mother anyone could ever wish for. As I watch my daughters today and see their good works, their great personalities, their love for the gospel, their propensity to do well in school and in everything they do, I cannot help but think back to the way Joanne cared for them. Everything the girls are, I attribute to their beautiful, kind mother whom I call Joanne, my wife of 32 years, my best friend. I am humbled to be called her husband.

Joanne spent a great deal of time with Anna Rose and Hailey, reading to them, helping them with their letters and numbers, making dresses for them, creating fabulous lunches for them and their friends during their high school years in Montana, driving them back and forth to their piano and music lessons, chauffeuring the girls to Billings for their braces check, substituting and volunteering in their schools, being their assistant tennis coach, serving as their Young Women’s leader throughout their entire young women years, listening to them during the good times and the not so good times, and just being there when they needed her.

When one thinks about the perfect mother, one doesn’t have to look elsewhere other than to Joanne Hammon, the epitome of the perfect mother. I think some of the best compliments come from the girls’ recent mother’s day cards.

From Anna Rose, “They say there’s nothing in life a girl can’t accomplish with the help of an amazing mom. And they’re right Thanks for always helping me shine, Mom.”

From Hailey, “Thank you for always making every moment special, for celebrating the little things, and helping me understand just how amazing life can be. Thank you for being you. Thank you for helping me become me.”

Surely, there is nothing more certain about how their mother prepared them than seeing how my daughters live and how they behave. Perhaps, Anna Rose said it best, “After looking at my mom and seeing what she looks like, I know my future is secure.”

Ah, yes, if my daughters become like their mother, they will have accomplished much.

Happy Mother’s Day, Joanne. You are the best mother in the world.