Mara and Mom: Thanks for mothers, both young and old

My mother is astonishing. She broke her hip, then had it replaced, has lost 90 percent of her hearing and will turn 94 in January. But none of these problems have prevented her making her daily rounds – her daily walk around the Fresno Pacific University track.

While college students whiz past, she and her front-wheel walker keep up a steady pace, thoughtfully staying in the outside lane. By walking in the outside lane, she explained to me, she is actually traveling a half-mile with every lap. I didn’t bother to argue with her calculations.

Then there’s my mother’s next-door neighbor, Mara. The mother of two adorable young children, she’s also the part-time caregiver and full-time guardian angel for my mother.

When my mother’s rickety wooden bench was stolen from her front yard, Mara arranged to have a replacement installed. When my mother can’t hear me calling her on the phone, Mara pays her a personal visit to alert her.

Mara’s children love coming over to play with my mother’s old wooden toys. They were once my toys. Now all are well past their prime, but obviously still very useful.

This Thanksgiving, I’ll be grateful for mothers, both young and old.

This story was originally published November 22, 2017 at 3:31 PM with the headline "Mara and Mom: Thanks for mothers, both young and old."