Mothers

There are many things that have occurred at the Sisters of Charity Foundation over the last few months. We have a lot to be thankful for and proud of and our work continues to be fulfilling and promising. There have been some personal things going on too. I am going to share some of my personal thoughts with you as we approach Mother’s Day this year.

In the last four months, both my mother-in-law and my mother died. Both were in their late 80s so their passing was not unexpected but it was very sad and difficult. So as Mother’s Day arrives this year, it feels very different for me. My mother-in-law, Sara Jane, was a person that always put other people first. She was kind, loving, sensitive and genuine. I never once saw her put on airs or try to be somebody she wasn’t. She had a way of making each individual person feel extremely special. She could make or fix anything. My wife, Doris, her daughter, has a lot of those same qualities too. They say that we often grow up to be our parents and, for Doris, that is a wonderful thing. Her mother was as special as any woman I have ever met. Even though Alzheimer’s took her away from us a few years ago, her passing in December was a time of great sadness. I miss her dearly.

My mother, Johnnie, was a doting and loving mother. She was always worrying about my brother and me. She raised us in a strong Christian, small town environment. She gave us the grounding to treat others with respect and always try to do your best in every single situation. My mother lived a life of love surrounded by family and friends. She taught me to be kind and loving to all people no matter whom they were or where they came from. “God made us all equal” she would say and she meant it. Mother died suddenly in February and it has been extremely difficult. I miss her so much; I saw her on a regular basis and her death has left a void for me and my family.

But my mother and mother-in-law live on. They live in my wife and me and their memory lives in and with many people that we come in touch with each day.

On behalf of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina, I would like to wish a happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers out there. May each of us give you the love and support you deserve and never take you for granted. Mothers are the lifeblood of each and every one of us and, they continue to touch us, either through their loving hands today or through the memories of that love from the past.

Tom Keith is the president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina