My Mother

Words and Photography by: Savan Crutchfield

I had a very happy childhood filled with so much love, all sorts of family and extended family around every weekend, road trips, cooking and most importantly what I learned from my mother. She never demanded that I spend hours and hours on school work, what she taught my siblings and I was through living life and experiences. My mother and I had the best of relationships, I don’t even remember fighting with my mother at any point in my life, what I can is how much I had in common with her even as a young girl. I wanted to be outdoors in her garden: cutting flowers, cooking, window shopping, jumping in the car and just driving and discovering new places and having the best adventures. She really did give my siblings and I the best childhood.

I don’t think she is all that different as a grandmother, ok well she spoils my kids rotten, but that’s what grandparents are for right? In all seriousness, she grandmothers in the exact way she parented - with full and unconditional love!

When my family took a month long trip to Italy last fall, my mother came with us. Italy was all new to us except for my husband’s college Europe trip. It was last year this time and watching my girls go to a different country where the language and culture are different and watching my mother navigate them through the cobblestone streets and pointing out new and amazing things to them made my heart so full! Yes being academic is great, and there is a time and place to put the pressure on school work, but learning from others who love you through actually living life to the fullest is another level of learning that my mother instilled in me. She instilled so much more in my children than a book ever could.

She teaches my girls to live and to be kind to others, through leading by example. We had leftovers after going out to dinner one night. As we exited the freeway, my mother asked my husband to hand over her leftovers to a hungry man. When we all got home she explained to the girls why it was the right and kind thing to do. She taught me and now teaches my children to be kind to others and to enjoy life, by really living life.

She is the kindest, most generous, selfless human being I know. I hope I can be half of a mother or human being as her. My mother is extraordinary!