Celebrating Mother’s Day

Continued from previous page normal,” says Justine. “Give yourself grace and take people up on offering to be a shoulder to cry on or to listen to when you need it.”

During the 20 years that she had with her mom, Justine recalls a scenario that occurred over and over again: “She often donated her time, and often encouraged me to join her in serving.” Her mom’s service by example embodied her values: “Do more, watch less. Give more, take less.”

Another of her mother’s lessons was: “Be kind and help when you can.” Justine has many specific memories of how Mary helped people in various ways. “Because she always did those things in private or without fanfare, I won’t share those in detail, but they certainly stick with me,” she says. “What I can share is that I witnessed my mom’s gigantic heart. She was a ‘doer’ – that has always stuck with me.”

Justine chooses to honor her mother’s memory by following her mother’s example. “I think the best way I can honor my mom is to keep who she was alive. On the most surface level of that idea, I still talk about her, tell stories about her, and just let the people in my life who never met her know about her,” she explains.

In addition to selfless giving, Mary left behind the lesson of being in the present with those around her. This is probably why many of Justine’s best memories are centered around time spent together with loved ones: taking family vacations (many of which led to inside jokes the family still shares); preparing Mary’s classroom for the first day of school together; passing out candy together on Halloween (Mary’s favorite holiday); and baking Christmas cookies.

And then there was Mary’s love for the family dog – “definitely the third child,” according to Justine. “When my mom was gone for an evening or my parents away for the weekend, she would leave notes taped up around the house ‘Does your dog have water?’ or ‘Was he fed recently?’” she remembers.

Justine recalls her mother’s laughter as being recognizable and contagious.

“Selfishly, I like to think I inherited my laughter from her,” says Justine, who laughs freely. “She was a great listener. Being immersed in that definitely taught me some of her greatest lessons – being present, being a listener, and the importance of human connection with those around us.”

Her mother’s allencompassing love and compassion for those around her is imprinted in Justine’s memory. “I think of her socializing and being present with those around her. Whether it was with her family or friends, running errands around town, or on an airplane traveling, no matter the location, she was talking with – and getting to know – people,” she says. “It sticks with me how genuine she was in these conversations: truly wanting to know how people were doing, what they were up to, asking about their families, or just laughing.”

Mary always encouraged Justine and her brother to be themselves and not to follow the crowd. She wanted her children to be true to themselves and not to succumb to peer pressure. “I always felt supported and encouraged for who I was as an individual,” says Justine. “My dad certainly supported all of this, too! A great lesson and encouragement from two amazing parents!”

Justine continues: “I honor her memory by trying to live a life that she would be proud of.

When I’m making a big life decision, I still think about her and the advice she would give me. It certainly isn’t the same as having her here with me.” Because her mom was consistent in how she lived her life and was so involved in the lives of her children, Justine points out that “it isn’t too hard to guess the advice she would give or how she would react to big moments.”

Justine notes that continuing holiday traditions isn’t necessarily the best, or only, way to preserve the memory of her mother. “It’s more of what I do and how I act in the small moments of everyday life. Because I think that is my mom’s greatest legacy – her daily interactions that made a lasting impact,” she says. “Through her example, I learned the importance of volunteering, generosity, yet assertiveness, and most importantly, showing kindness to everyone, especially when it is really hard because that is when it is needed the most.”

From her mother’s life and untimely death, Justine learned valuable lessons about time –how to enjoy each moment, big and small. “I learned at a young age that it is an honor to grow old. Time is fleeting and one of our greatest gifts is the ability to connect with others through laughter and listening,” she says, “so I try to do those things every day in the smallest of ways. … Living those lessons through action is the best way I can honor her memory.”

Remembering and honoring a loved one isn’t all brightness and light, and Justine acknowledges this day-to-day reality. “I miss my mom every single day. I don’t want to minimize the loss and the hard times because there have been some extraordinarily hard and sad moments within these past 18 years,” she admits. “The first few years were not all rainbows and sunshine. The loss of my mom was unexpected and certainly blindsided me.”

“Finding a new normal was hard – there are so many feelings,” she concludes.

For Justine, as the years passed, she understood – perhaps learned as a lesson – that she could choose to control how she reacts to the “hard stuff” that inevitably is part of life. “We ALL are going to go through situations that seem impossible,” she says. “We can only control our reactions and spend the majority of our energy on what we can control.”

“My dad has been an amazing role model for that,” she adds.

Memories are certainly rooted in holiday traditions, but can also be prompted by small, prosaic things – which Justine readily admits. “There are so many things that remind me of her and make me feel close to her (as silly as it seems): lilacs, Diet Peach Iced Tea Snapple, JellO jigglers, Pillsbury Orange Rolls, glitter, ‘Love Shack’ by the B-52s, shopping, Abraham Lincoln,” she says. “All these little things that will sometimes come out of nowhere and strike a memory.”

“All these little things” prompted another “larger” memory that Justine shares. “Every Christmas Eve day we – ‘Okay, my mom!’ –would make gingerbread cookies: gingerbread men and women, gingerbread houses, stars, christmas trees, bells – you name the shape, she had a cookie cutter for it!” laughs Justine. “She would crank out the cookies and my dad, brother, and I would decorate the cookies.”

As Dave and Justine grew older the family cookie-decorating day evolved into an “open house” for their friends as well. “They would swing by and help us decorate,” Justine recalls. “When I think back, cookie decoration was so much more than icing and cookie cutters. Those moments were filled with so much laughter and togetherness. What a gift!”

The memories of those cookie-decorating days resonated with Justine as she went to bed on the day her mother died. “I remember thinking about those moments and wondering, ‘Who would make the cookies?’” she says. “It wasn’t the

BINGOCIZE!!

Tues., May 2, 9, 16 & 30

Thurs., May 4, 11, 18 & 25

All Classes at 10 am! Join the fun!

BREAKFAST Mondays from 9:30 - 11 am

May 1: French Toast Strawberries w/Sausage

May 8: Blueberry Pancakes & Sausage

May 15: Mother's Day Breakfast: Mini Quiches & Choc. Chip Muffins

May 22: Pancakes & Bacon

May 29: Center Closed/Memorial Day

SEWING CLASS with MARLENE

Monday, May 1 at 11 am

CHAIR YOGA with JERIL

Tuesday, May 2 at 11 am

ELECTION DAY BAKE SALE

Tuesday, May 16 from 10 am to 2 pm

PA MEDI COUNSELING

Thursday, May 11 at 1130 am

SENIOR OLYMPICS

Wed., May 3, 10 & 17 10 am & 12:30 pm

MAHONING HILLS ICE CREAM SHOPPE

Mon., May 8 at 12:30 pm - Cones $1

Wed., May 17 at 12:30 pm - Sundaes $1.50

FITNESS CLASS

Wednesdays at 11 am with Fitness Instructor Carole

BINGO with Kim from Embassy at Hillsdale

Thursday, May 4 at 12:30 pm

BINGO

Tues., May 2 at 12:30 pm

Tues., May 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 11 am

DIME BINGO

Thursday, May 18 at 12:30 pm

NUTRITION

Food, Physical Activity Check List

Wednesday, May 31 at Noon

CLASSIC ROCK MUSIC with DJ Randy

Thursday, May 11 at 11 am

HYMN SING with Kay Young

Thursday, May 18 at 11 am

SPECIAL EVENTS

Mon., May 15: Mother’s Day Breakfast

Wed., May 24: Scavenger Hunt Day 12:30 pm Hunt With Us

Thursday, May 25:

MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM at 11 am

MEMORIAL DAY PICNIC at 12 Noon

Lunch $3.50 Reservations in advance

The Company Store at Walston. Employment at the company store, of widows and daughters of coal miners who had been killed in the mines, was one way mine companies helped provide for mine families who had lost their wage earner in a mining accident. Today there are safety nets, including public assistance and Social Security to assist families in these situations. (photo courtesy of the Punxsutawney Area Historical & Genealogical Society)