This sweet Mama Mallard and her fuzzy duckling, (which I’d like to think are a mother/daughter combo), were paddling around Coan Lake at Heritage Park on a visit I made there last Spring. When I saw these up-close shots on the screen, I immediately tucked them away for my 2021 Mother’s Day post.
I consider myself lucky because, as an only child, I had Mom’s undivided attention from birth until I started kindergarten at age 5 1/2; and, truth be told, she fussed and fretted over me for many more years after that time period. Just like this duckling, as a toddler, I never left Mom’s side, except to run around the house banging on pots and pans during “Romper Room” or while engrossed with “Captain Kangaroo” or “The Mickey Mouse Club” – oh, the fond memories of the characters on those shows and, now that I think of it, perhaps Mom was glad for the brief respite of answering my slew of never-ending questions during the time I was parked in front of the TV. In between naps, meals and TV programs, I had “preschool” courtesy of Mom and I memorized spelling and vocabulary lists and learned simple math using matchsticks or Smarties (the Canadian equivalent of M&Ms). “Smarties math” was rare as I wasn’t allowed to eat candy except on special occasions.
While I might have been fascinated with Mom defrosting the freezer, making me frothy egg nog using a handheld metal egg beater, or baking my favorite cookies, I guess I should have paid better attention to Mom’s cleaning and cooking skills, as these days I sure don’t excel in either. But I have Mom’s personality and for that I am blessed. (In my humble opinion of course.)
The family albums are chock-full of photos documenting me from a newborn through the decades and I cherish each and every picture. I’ve digitized those photo albums, so I can travel down memory lane on a day like today when I want to remember the special Mommy-and-Me moments all those years ago, like these two pictures circa late 50s.
On this Mother’s Day, I hope you are lucky enough to give your mom a hug, have a telephone chat or share a smile via Zoom. How I wish I could do that, but my mom passed away in 2010, so all that remains are the photographs and memories.
I’ll leave you with this quote: “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – Unknown
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
What a lovely tribute to your dearly loved mother, and the mother duck with her duckling is the perfect illustration of a mother’s love. I especially enjoyed the pictures of you and your mom when you were so little! Is that a doll standing behind her in the second picture? My mother died in 1991 and though I miss her still, the memories are much softer now after 30 years.
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Thank you Barbara – I am glad you liked it. When I saw the photos of the duck with its duckling last year, I knew it would be perfect for Mother’s Day. I hunted through the pictures for a few that we were close to one another and these worked perfectly. The doll behind my mom kind of photobombed the shot didn’t it? I was trying to remember the doll’s name. I had a favorite doll, Tilda Jane, but this was not her. My father always took pictures of the background not the subjects, so in almost every photo, I’m almost out of the photograph. I was close to my mom, so I do miss her and yes it is easier now that time has passed. The first year, her birthday was two weeks after her passing and then Mother’s Day just a few months later and all the ads, etc. Happy Mother’s Day to you – I am late getting here as I sorted through a ton of photos on this rainy day. I now have my next ten posts, just need the narrative for the Monday posts. As usual, too many photos per post, but I’m working on that. 😉
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My doll was named Kimberly. 🙂 I wonder about your father’s perceptions when looking through the camera viewfinder — it’s like his brain had a processing error that threw his centering off. When taking pictures of the ocean my horizons are always slanted. And my severe lack of depth perception makes driving a car too dicey for me. I gave it up a few years ago…
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I wonder why I can’t remember that doll’s name? I have several pictures of me with her – none with Tilda Jane which I really treasured and wore her out as I took her everywhere. Every picture taken by my father is like that Barbara … he’s got the subject(s) almost out of the photo and 3/4s of the picture is background. That very well could be his problem. Your depth perception can’t be corrected with glasses then – that is too bad. Thankfully you have Tim for driving for getting around.
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Love the pictures of you and your mom. My mom has also passed and I still miss her.
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Thanks Kate – glad you liked them. I tried to find some pictures that we were close to one another and these worked best. Yes, time makes it a little easier, but I still miss my mom as well.
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This is a lovely post. You write about your mother so beautifully.
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Thanks Anne – I thought it would be fun to find some pictures of the two of us sitting close like the duck and its duckling and do a nice tribute that way. I’ve been immersed in sorting pictures I’ve taken in the last few weeks all day today. Except for a few hours this morning, we had a totally rainy Mother’s Day here in SE Michigan. I hope you had a good Mother’s Day – the best present was having Lise visit.
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I had a lovely Mother’s Day. John cooked small steaks and bought two sides from the local barbecue place. A chocolate cake from Walmart was the perfect ending. Four of us went for a drive through the gorge and back beside the river. Tonight we played board games until bedtime. Daughter Kate in NJ attended online church with us. I really enjoyed the whole day.
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That sounds like a perfect day Anne – all the things you love to see, do and eat too … I know you love that chocolate cake for your birthday too. I’m glad Kate got to be online for church as well. A memorable day for Mom … the best kind and so deserving too.
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Your mom sounds like she was a kind woman. Great pictures of the two of you on your front porch and in the driveway. Plus Smarties math!! We had Smarties too in Germany but didn’t get to eat them often either. Last but not least your duckling photos are delightful, Linda! 🙂
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Yes she was Sabine. Glad you liked the pictures. I was aiming for our pictures to resemble the duck and duckling, so glad I picked the right photos. I hope I am lucky to find some duckling photos again this year. I’ll wait a few more weeks … it is early yet for ducklings. I went through a ton of photos this afternoon/early evening from recent weekend walks. I did get some cute gosling shots yesterday. There were several geese families with goslings of different sizes. They grow very quickly. Smarties were a rare but delicious treat – I liked learning “Smarties math”.
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Miss Linda……………………I loved you mother’s day blog on mothers……………………did you digitize your pictures or did you send them somewheres to get them digitized??…………………I took my friend Beverly to church with me this morning…………………the Mass was for her mother who lived to be 104…………………………..she died 2 years ago……………………..a Nigerian family at church gave me a Happy Mother’s day card and balloon signed by her 4 kids………………………
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Thank you Ann Marie. I am glad you liked today’s post. I digitized them myself using a flat-bed scanner. The project took all of Thanksgiving weekend 2017 and included the family albums, scrap books and travel albums. I have scanned them all in, but they still need tweaking as some of the older photos are only 2 X 3 inches and some were difficult to scan as I couldn’t remove them from the album. There are some services that digitize them for you. Wow – two years already for Beverly’s mother, but come to think of it, it was before the COVID crisis began. I feel like we lost a year’s time due to COVID. I didn’t realize she was 104. Beverly would not have been able to visit her during COVID and you would not have been able to volunteer either … Beverly’s mom would have been very lonely. You have been so kind to Beverly, especially with the loss of her mom. I remember you made the funeral arrangements and get together afterward. That’s so nice about the Nigerian family’s kids – very thoughtful of them. They think you are as sweet as I do.
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That was lovely Linda…..and I especially enjoyed the old photos.
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Glad you liked it Joni – I though it would be fun to use the Mama Duck an her duckling and compare it to my mom and me all those years ago. I am so glad I digitized all those photos.
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That was a beautiful quote at the end, I love the photos of the ducks, they both look like they have a bit of a smile. And I enjoy seeing the older photos. Those cars sitting on the street. 🙂
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I often think ducks look like they are smiling, especially when they open their beaks while they are paddling away. I like that quote too Sandra – I wanted a perfect quote for the pictures and I thought that worked well. The old photos sure are fun to look at – the neighborhoods, the cars and the clothing from back in the day. Even now when I see some of the classic cars rolling by for the classic car cruise they have near me, I am amazed how long those cars are. They seem to stretch forever.
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Wonderful pictures of you with your mom. I don’t think I have any of me with my mom when I was a child. She was probably the one taking the photos when we were kids. Have a great week Linda!
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Thank you Ruth. I do have a lot of photos of us through the years but only one in the latter years and that last picture was in 1990. We both had dentist appointments and had parked behind the building and the dental hygienist pulled up in her brand-new Corvette and asked if we’d take her picture standing next to the car – she had brought a camera and then took our pictures and sent them to us. My mom had a Baby Brownie camera for years so many of the pics were from that camera. You have a great week as well Ruth – I hope all your gardens will be safe tonight with the frost advisory.
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So sad when they are gone, Linda, but the great part is that you had her and she passed on everything she had to give you and so she’s part of you even though she’s not there to hug. Love and happy Mother’s Day. xox
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Yes, that is so true Pam and I always think of you on Mother’s Day as I believe that is when I read your very poignant post to your mom. It is good that a part of our moms lives on in us. Hugs back to you and a belated Mother’s Day to you Pam.
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❤️🙏🎉
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Linda, you a so lucky to have such a wonderful mother. 🙂 You and your mother will be eternally. Here is what Walt Whitman wrote about motherhood:
I am the poet of the woman the same as the man, And I say it is as great to be a woman as to be a man, And I say there is nothing greater than the mother of a man.
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Yes indeed Tom. I’ve never been a mom myself, but never regretted that. I like your Walt Whitman quote – thank you for sharing it. I like that a man would honor his/any mother with such praise. Abraham Lincoln also gave similar praise to mothers, a quote I have always liked: “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother” – another nice tribute.
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Yes, in this day and age, with such severe human overpopulation, to be a mom having kids is overrated. Moms are wonderful, but caring about the environment and nature is even more wonderful. 🙂
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I hope people think twice about bringing more kids into today’s world … but they will continue to do so. I am disheartened to read about people now returning their pets to shelters as they return to work … where is the loyalty for those dogs who were faithful and loyal (not to mention grateful) to you?
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I love your Mother’s Day quote, Linda. So true that mothers hold our hearts forever. My mom passed away in 2007, but she is still in my heart, as I’m sure your mom is in yours too. I should go through my old photos to see if I can find any of me with my mom. Yours are wonderful!
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Glad you liked that quote Laurie. I searched for a perfect quote to complement the photos of my mom and me as well as the Mallard Mama and her duckling … I liked that quote as it is so true. Yes, see if you’ve got some photos for next year for Mother’s Day or your late mom’s birthday perhaps? I didn’t stray far from Mom in those days as you can see. 🙂
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What an adorable picture Linda! Captain Kangaroo was my favorite, I think I saw every show. Your mom was a pretty special mom if you are just like her!
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Glad you liked it – who can resist seeing baby critters? I loved Captain Kangaroo too, especially all the characters. I forgot another show I watched which was “The Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop Show”. You are younger than me, so you likely don’t remember it, but Lamb Chop was a lamb puppet and Shari Lewis was a ventriloquist. Thank you very much for saying that Diane. I don’t look like my mom at all – she had dark curly hair and I had straight dishwater blonde hair … I looked like my dad. But I have her temperament … that makes me happy.
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Lovely indeed Linda…
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Thanks Michael – glad you liked it.
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I miss my mother as well Linda! Mine passed in 86. I know If she saw me doing my wildlife studies she’d freak out!
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She’d be worried about you every time she saw you pick up the camera and head out the door. 🙂
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Yes,she would.
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She would be a typical mother, no matter how old you are.
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Aww – such a beautiful post, Linda. Such wonderful memories. I love the old photos. And the photo of the duck with her little one is so cute. I did get to see my girls in person and grabbed many hugs. Thanks again for sharing such a beautiful message about Mother’s Day!
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Glad you liked this post Shelley. The pictures were so sweet, that I saved them from last year, then searched for two old pictures to use like the Mama and her duckling. I have a whole slew of goslings coming up this Wednesday. The babies are so sweet and they grow big so quickly. Glad you got to see the girls in person – hugs are good and last time you saw them I think you were six feet apart in the driveway I believe. I liked that quote as well.
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As I’ve said before, you have a gift of remembering photos and putting a story on hold for a later date.
I’ve only seen a few goslings this year. They grow quickly, that’s for sure.
Thanks – it was wonderful to see the girls. I’m sure we’ll see them again in July. xx
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Thank you for saying that Shelley. Last year was funny as I had looked for ducklings every year and never saw them, then it seemed everywhere I went I saw them, and the young ones mostly. In two weeks they’ve gone from fuzzy to looking like their parents. That’s great … maybe the visits can be more often now with vaccines administered as we get back to more normalcy.
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Linda, this post was beautiful in remembering your childhood with mom and the photos! I had lots of attention too growing up as an only child and I was my mom’s shadow. I always wanted to be with her. That may have been worse since I didn’t meet my mom till I was 4 years old. After she gave birth to me, my parents left me in the care of my maternal family in Korea while they started a new life in California from Hawaii. So when I met her at age 4 and suddenly came to the US with her and met my dad, I had serious separation anxiety.
I appreciate my mom more now that I’m a mom. Man, I put her through a lot growing up…I hope my kids will be less rebellious.
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Thank you Esther – I’m glad you liked it. You and I have often discussed what it was like growing up and being an only child and how strict our parents were. That is a touching story about your childhood. I think we appreciate our moms as we get older because as youngster, teens or young adults, we cannot see past ourselves enough to understand how they worried about us “growing up right” and wanting to give us the world. As the expression goes: “we grow too soon old and too late smart.”
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Much more appreciation after we’re grown. When you’re young, it’s easy to overlook what parents go through to raise kids, work, take care of home and themselves…
I hated their lectures but now I see why they did it; you want your kids to see past the current situation and look at the big picture and to equip them to make better choices.
Yes, similar experiences growing up as the only child. It’s not easy but I think it’s also hard growing up with siblings; I see the rivalry, love and hate relationship, etc. Maybe it would’ve been a bit easier for me since I as transplanted into US life so abruptly. It makes for an interesting story about my life.
I like the expression you shared. So true, so true…
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I see sibling rivalry too Esther – saw it in my own family after my grandmother passed away in 1986. My aunt, who was adopted as a newborn, believed she would be shut out of the estate proceeds and kicked out of the house that she and my grandmother lived in. She sued my mother and uncle. It was very stupid since my grandmother had made provisions long ago, equal to all her kids. My mother and her brother were not close, never were, but no one excluded her. It cost my mother money for a lawyer to represent her and settle the proceeds exactly as the will was written. I see and hear stories … they leave me shaking my head.
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I hear you about sibling rivalry. It’s a foreign concept to me as it must be for you too as the only child.
Some rivalry is good to challenge each other but when it becomes toxic, so many lose out on good relationships. It’s sad to see family relationships break up through resentment, misunderstanding, or jealousy: although some break up because of abuse. It’s a complicated thing!
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It sure is complex sometimes and sad to see. We are lucky in that regard that this has not and will not affect us … life is complicated enough.
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Hi Linda – I am glad I am able to get caught up on a few posts here – because this was delightful
The photo of you and your mom in the porch also had that little doll in background
– and what a sweet Mother’s Day quite and thoughts in a post!
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I am horribly behind here on Reader. I’m glad you liked this post. I looked for some pictures that would mirror the pictures of the mother duck and her duckling and these were my best picks of the pics. 🙂 I was thinking it was funny that doll was peeking out behind my mom. I really liked that quote too. Moms are special, that’s for sure.
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😊🌺🌺🌺🌺
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Such a sweet post about your mother x x ❤
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Thanks Zena – like you, I was close to my mom. How are you doing?
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