5 minute read
Mother’s Day is a day to honor, celebrate and appreciate the influence mothers have had in society and in our daily lives. A year never passes without spending time to reflecting on the impact one woman has made on me. She always lived up to her name and that name is Pal.
Who is Pal?
Pal was a wonderful combination of warmth and kindness, laughter and love. Most people would give their grandmother the nickname “Nana” or “Gram”. “Pal” just felt better to us. Her nickname came about because she had the tendency to call out “where’s my little pal” in the most endearing way when she was looking for me and my two brothers.
Pal was the reason Sundays could not come soon enough. Us siblings would spend the entire day with her and my grandpa in their cute, little bungalow with a white picket fence. My grandma and I would occasionally retreat away from the boys and spend time painting our nails, braiding my hair or getting crafty with paper garland chains. She always had my most favorite snacks ready and knew how to make my sandwich just the right way. I don’t know how many times my parents had to deal the request to make lunch “the way Pal does”. There were so many things she did that only her way was the way I wanted it to be. This still holds true to this day.
Pal Living Up to Her Name
One of my fondest memories with Pal was a day of shopping at Great Lakes Mall. The trip was so special because I grew up in a lot of hand-me-downs from my brothers and second-hand finds from garage sales and thrift stores. I felt like I hit the jackpot getting something brand new and straight from the mall.
As Pal and I journeyed through the stores together, her joy and excitement matched my own, marveling at all the trinkets and treasures. I learned what it felt like to be spoiled as the shopping bags started to grow and every request was met with a smile and a nod by Pal. Blazin’ blueberry roll-on glimmer and cucumber melon body lotion from Bath and Body Works? Smile and nod. A yin yang necklace from Claires? Smile and nod. Every form of sugar imaginable from the Sweet Factory? Smile and nod. The bags got so big I started to develop triceps muscles at a very young age.
I was on a roll until I saw this country-style doll wearing a sunflower dress, with braided amber hair and holding a pot with a petite sunflower poking out. I saw big numbers on her price tag and tried to contain my excitement. I didn’t have a great concept of money but I knew she was too much to ask for. We left the mall with bags weighing a little less than I really wanted them to.
When Pal was dropping me off from our day at the mall and I collected my bags, she gave me a warm smile and said, “there’s one more”. And there she was - the doll was delicately wrapped in a big box full of cinnamon-smelling tissue paper. Pal never failed to make me feel so loved and so special.
Learning about Sacrifice
Pal taught me the power of sacrifice with an act she did before I was born. Pal was a long-time smoker and started the habit during a time when cigarettes were advertised as a healthy product. Pal’s doctor warned her that her lungs were deteriorating and that she would not have much time left if she continued smoking. She made the decision to give up smoking the day I was born because she wanted to have more time with her family and with her first granddaughter. Because of Pal’s sacrifice and commitment to her family, we were able to share a childhood of great memories together.
Her health started to deteriorate when I was in high school. I helplessly watched the woman I love dearly lose the vigor she once had as she became dependent on an oxygen tank. Pal eventually died after years of battling with lung disease on March 22, 2004. She was 71 and passed away a decade sooner than the average American woman.
Pal’s Legacy Lives On
Pal never got to witness how far her love has taken me and how big my dreams grew because of the courage she instilled in me. After my first marathon in high school, I was looking for a new adventure. Google led me to The Big Ride Across America - a 3,300-mile bicycle ride from Seattle, Washington to Washington D.C. This wasn’t just a bike ride. It was way to raise funds for the American Lung Association and help others from struggling with lung disease. Pal was the reason behind every peddle. She was the reason for every mile I pushed through. Pal was the reason thousands of dollars were raised to help others dealing with lung disease.
I know Pal is still with me and I feel her presence strongest during endurance events. When my body is weak, my spirit is strong because of her. The longing I have for Pal will never go away but she left me with the reassurance that she is always near in heart. Faith keeps me connected to her and she is there in spirit in every mile I take.
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