Little did I know when I was pregnant with my first child that motherhood will be the hardest and thrilling job ever. Mothers come in all shapes, sizes and a vast amount of unconditional love. If there are five people to have dessert and only four pieces a mom will say that she didn’t care for pie. Mother’s Day is only one day to spoil and allow oneself to be spoiled. The wonderful folks at Walmart Canada have begun their search for The Mother of the Year award program to recognize all what moms do.
My mom died in 1984 of Breast Cancer. I was ten years old. She kept a brave face on despite being so sick to hear my stories. I miss her terribly to this day. For many years I became close to her best friend since university who eventually became my foster mom. When I came to live with Judy I was allowed to have a real childhood. I was able to date and have a huge group of friends. I was safe and secure in her home which also became mine.
As I grew older and got married we maintained a tight bond. She accepted my husband as part of her family because he was my family. Her unconditional nature was a great life lesson. We celebrated her on Mother’s Day. When I became a mom for the first time a new grandma was born too. The two were great companions. When my second pregnancy became difficult to maintain travel, we still kept in contact by phone. Her health began to slip. Shortly after my second daughter was born Judy died.
It was like my mom died all over again. Only Judy was the mom I knew the longest. Without question she was my girls’ grandma a great friend to me. If she were here today, I would nominate her for Mom of the Year. She embodied that blood may be thicker than water but love makes a family not just genes.
Judy May Schafhauser, my fairy godmother, mother for life and beyond.
Who will you nominate?
Mom of the Year Award will become an annual program to celebrate all that Mom does and shine a light on what is important to her.
Nominations will be accepted from now through July 8, 2012 and can be submitted through www.momoftheyear.ca. Anyone can vote for their mom or a community member.
Eight finalists will be selected and notified in mid-August and will be treated to an award celebration weekend in September. The Mom of the Year Award recipient will receive $10,000 for personal use and $100,000 to their cause or charity of choice. The remaining seven finalists will each receive $10,000 for personal use and $10,000 to their cause or charity of choice. Can you imagine the impact you could have on your favourite charity with that much money!!
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Disclosure: I’m part of the Walmart program by Mom Central. I received compensation as a thank you for my participation. The opinions on this blog are my own. Mom of the Year Award: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY Internet access and valid email account required. Nominations open May 10, 2012 to July 8, 2012 for legal residents of Canada over the age of majority. Entrants cannot nominate themselves. One (1) grand prize available to be won consisting of $10,000 cash, a $100,000 donation by Wal-Mart Canada Corp. to charity/cause and a trip to Toronto (ARV $22,000). Seven (7) runner-up prizes available to be won consisting of $10,000 cash, a $10,000 donation to charity/cause and a trip to Toronto (ARV $22,000). Charity/cause subject to verification and final approval by Wal-Mart Canada Corp., at its sole discretion. Odds of winning depend on how the judging panel evaluates each entry according to the criteria. For Official Contest Rules and to nominate an entrant, visit http://www.momoftheyear.ca.
Danielle Christopher 