Mother’s Day musings: One time at childhood WTF band camp…

Jen Knight is a 38-year-old mother of three teenagers, and a full-time, pre-med student working in healthcare. We saw a version of this in her social media and thought it was an interesting take on the different meanings Mother’s Day had for her.

First Person

Where we ask members of the community to write their first-person account of a particular aspect of our City.

Jen Knight (R) and daughter, Marla. (provided)

It was the year of our lord 2007, Mother’s Day….

I had this brilliant idea that I would reach out to my mother at the ripe age of 25 years old. I had not spoken to her since a fateful day in my 16th year of rebellion in which I had flown to her house to prove a rebellious point to my father. This is a ninja trick children of divorce use when they don’t get their way.

I thought “I’m going to make this right..”. I called her and we spoke. We spoke again a few times in the coming weeks and months.

One day, I didn’t say what had favored her ego and so she hung up on me.

We never spoke again.

She died a few years later. Even on her death bed, she would not speak to me. But, I’m told she spoke OF me.

My mother was a shithead of all shitheads. There. I said it.

She often said “Just like your father..” when I did something. So you see, I reminded her of disappointments in life. Imagine burdening a child with that. To my family that will read this: Too bad, lots of therapy has gotten me here.

I love Mother’s Day because I love the women that stepped in and stepped up. Those are the ones I want to hug. Those are true joys today — the ones that held when they didn’t have to hold. The ones that showed me what love was. They were the best of humanity that stepped in to mitigate the damages.

I love my father deeply because he was an amazing mom and father, he shouldered burdens he shouldn’t have to. He did the best he could as often as he could. I have far greater respect for him as a parent myself.

I’m grateful for a loving stepmom, even when we don’t see eye to eye. I’m as stubborn and guarded as the days are long.

She’s a great woman and she’s raised more children than me.

I’m eternally grateful for my own children. I’ve grown more in love with them every day. Almost 2 decades of parenting and I’m certain the legacy I came from isn’t the legacy they will ever know. They are kind, smart, so funny, humble, and amazing. The world will be better with them in it. I’m certain they will go on to love fearlessly.

Sometimes from the root of weeds, grows the most brilliant flowers.

— Jen

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