Linda Usher - Mother Of The Years

My mom is nominated as mother of the year because in my eyes she has well earned it. I've watched her struggles over the past several decades and yet I never see her in the light of defeat.

Their was a time I lived at home with my parents and I was addicted to this insight, our many conversations where I'd talk my heart out.. She really listened! Then she'd simplify it for me. Until recently when I started emailing my mom more and more, I didn't have this constant stream of optimism, but lately we've been keeping in touch via Yahoo mail, yahoo messenger, and now she works for the company I started my writing career in so I get to give back by helping her become the writer she wants to be!

My mom recently (2 years ago) retired from the Sacramento Police Department Transcription department (but held many positions within) and decided to move to Oregon where I've made my home for a few years already. When she came out to visit she saw the amazing beauty and paradise this area is and had to retire here.

They've purchased a home and are here for the long haul. Now I can visit my mom who lives 15 minutes away (before it was 10 hours away!). This was originally written 5 years ago and things have just gotten better!

Even though we just talk about the normal things of life, her struggles and me mine, there is a lot of insight found in our exchange that most don't see.

I love how my mom will just listen and allow me to say whatever I want without judgment, she even lets me yell (not at her just passionately expressing myself) and will listen to every word and wait till I'm done to give me what becomes incredible advice that calms me down and shows me what I missed!

I'm sure she appreciates me listening to her too. I don't have to lie or beat around the bush with my mom, and I love that about her. She has a clear vision of the future, hers and others; she chases her dreams with undying passion.

She faces obstacles daily but always comes out on top.

It is through this vision that I persevere myself when times seem tough. When I feel weak my mom often crosses my mind like an angel telling me, look, be strong, their is learning in pain, and always remember "and this too shall pass" a phrase she learned from my father.

My Mom, Dad, Scott My older Brother In Brunswick Maine (my birth place)

1975

My mom is brilliant in figuring things out, but she comes from a simpler approach to life's challenges. It's her gift in this life time to see the beauty in simplicity, to extract the hope in negativity and to persevere tenaciously. Sometimes I think the more we over think things the harder we make the solutions because we simply talk ourselves out of the solutions that work.

Personally I over think things. I take traits from my father like analytical thinking, analyzing thing to death and traits from my mother, simplifying things and perusal of dreams, which together make one hell of a successful team, but more than not it's the simplicity solutions that elude me. I often I turn to my mother for those answers, and to reconnect to that side of my nature. Sometimes an analytical approach is necessary but most of the time the solution can be extracted from all that data if I can just see the core.

My mother does this for me and just about anyone she comes across. Her way of seeing life is just amazing to me. What really hurts is that she's not rewarded justly for her contribution, hard work and tenacious efforts. She has amazing dreams but life continues to pound her into the ground time and time again. It's not fair.

Through her many trials and tribulations in life she has always persevered, helped the underdog even when she herself was the underdog, and never falters to care about others needs.

I don't see my mother in any way as selfish; it seems to me that the word doesn't even exist in her vocabulary. In some ways I think she should be a little selfish because she often puts herself last because she cares so much for others and their well being that she neglects to see her own needs.

I tend to see that she is not just my mother, as she treats anyone even strangers as if she were their mother.

My mom's goals are to become an interior decorator, to get in shape and promote a healthy lifestyle, live in a comfortable home and to escape the trappings of poverty. She is tenacious in her drive to accomplish all these things and I too am working tenaciously to assure if she doesn't get them I will be able to provide her with them.

I believe my mother deserves the good life and one way or another she will get it. If it weren't for her financial limitations and resources I believe she'd thrive in amazing things, unfortunately money is not always easy to achieve but in life sometimes this is for a reason.

Their are many lessons that you learn before achieving wealth and comfort and I believe right now she's learning them so when she achieves financial freedom she will be fully able to enjoy the contrast of her new life in comparison to the struggles she faced up to then.

Update:

That was in 2009, now in 2012 she's moved to Bend, Oregon (where I live too), in a paradise, owns a gorgeous 3 Bdrm home in a great neighborhood, has a new car, and ALL of her homes furniture is new including all the trappings of wealth she only dreamed of back then! She's also retired and loving every minute of it. To supplement her income she now writes articles for a content provider company, and is enjoying life to the fullest- all the issues of the past are gone! She did it!!!!

My mother met my father Robert Usher in Stockton California while attending college. They got married in Stockton 35 years ago and have been happily married since.

Their families didn't agree fully to their being together, but they fought to stay together and weren't going to let their families decide who they could be with and love.

Eventually they married and both families changed their minds, but this was not an easy battle, mostly for my mom.(both their parents have since passed away)

I have to admit some of their stories were pretty funny, but it goes to show that love conquers all.

They had three beautiful kids, Scott, Jerrico, and Jay who are all grown up and living in various areas.

Scott resides in Sacramento California; Jerrico resides in Bend,Oregon, and Jay in San Diego.

Of the three kids Scott was the first to both get married (and divorced).

Jay recently married the girl of his dreams and Jerrico is engaged to be married, and has a baby girl (we hope) on her way that we plan to name Zoey Madison Usher-Thompson.

My mother is both my mom and my best friend. She continues to be there for me when I'm in need and when I'm not, and I'm glad I have her. I wanted to thank her for all her help and when nobody else is showing their appreciation I hope she sees mine.

I love you mom.

Jerrico