By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

On Sunday, May 10, we will celebrate “Mother’s Day,” an opportunity for “children” of all ages to express love, respect and gratitude to mothers for all the things they do and have done for us.

For those whose mothers are no longer with us, it is a time to think back and remember that special person and friend.

In the United States, Anna M. Jarvis is credited with bringing in the celebration of Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis intended to start a Mother’s Day as an honoring of mothers. The idea itself was so great that it did not take long to be spread all over. Leaving aside the first observance, the official recognition that followed for the observance came in galore. The governor of West Virginia issued the first Mothers’ Day proclamation in 1910.

Oklahoma celebrated it in that same year. It started the same way as far west as the state of Washington. By 1911, there was not a state in the Union that did not have its own observance for Mothers’ Day. Soon it crossed the national boundary, as people in Mexico, Canada, South America, China, Japan and Africa all joined the spree to celebrate a day for mother love.

Senior students in classes of GHS teacher Ali Litton wrote tributes to their mothers. The messages are listed in the order they were submitted, not in alphabetical order by name.

JANEY NEUMANN – “Dear Mom, This Mother’s Day feels different than all the others, but even more special. Although we will always be able to celebrate Mother’s Day, this is the last one that I can celebrate at home like we always have. For the past 18 years, I have relied on you for help with everything from doing my hair to helping me plan for college. You are so supportive of my future and continuously encourage me to get out and do the hard things that intimidate me. I have appreciated every silly moment with you, but now isn’t a time to just remember all the good times, but instead be excited for all the adventure we have to come. I love you Mom! Jane.”

RYAN ZEITLER – “Mom, you are the best friend I could ever ask for, you are caring and loving. I’m proud to have a mom like you. Love, Ryan.”

MYLEE CLARK – “Dear Mom, you have the biggest heart and you have always made it known how much you care and love me. You are my biggest supporter and I couldn’t have asked for a greater Mom. I’m so grateful we are close. You are my built-in best friend. Thank you for loving me, caring for me, providing for me, protecting me, and being there for me always. I’m never scared to try new things or take risks because I know you will be there to pick me back up if needed. I hope you feel special every day, but especially on this Mother’s Day. I love you always. Mylee.”

KYAN BROS – “Happy Mother’s Day Mom, thank you for supporting me and backing me up no matter my decisions. Whether they be smart or dumb. It’s crazy to think I’m about to graduate here in a few weeks. Especially knowing we quite literally grew up together, both learning new things from each other. You have my eternal gratitude and love. It’s scary, but I’m sure I can figure this life thing out lmao. Hope you have an amazing Mother’s Day. Love, Bubba.”

KANE JOBE – “Dear Mom, thank you for everything, through the highs and the lows. Thank you. I appreciate everything you do for all three of us. We are always so proud to be your kids and do our best to make you proud. Thank you for always being involved in our lives and helping me navigate through life. I love you, Mom. Kane Jobe.”

LANDRY POSSIN – “My Mom is a very important person in my life. No matter which activities I have participated in, she is always there to support me. There have been times when I have had to make hard decisions, and she has helped me to make them. My mom is always trying to uplift my spirits when things don’t go how I want them to. Whether I didn’t get the grade I wanted or I didn’t get the position I felt I deserved, she has always stayed by my side and assured me that I would be alright. Mom, I thank you for everything you have given me and helped me with. Love you lots, Wooty Woots.”

AISAIAH KLICK – “Happy Mother’s Day to the strongest woman in the world. Thank you for dealing with me. I see all the hard work that you do for us and the family.”

BAELA HANSEN – “Happy Mother’s Day to the best woman I was somehow gifted to be my mom! I am blessed everyday to have someone so selfless, strong, and kind as my role model. Your strength keeps me going. Thank you for absolutely everything you do and have done for me; you are my best friend! Love you Mom!”

BROCK MARSHALL – “Happy Mother’s Day to the greatest mom ever. I know that there are sometimes when I complain or don’t seem appreciative, but I promise from the bottom of my heart that I am. I love you so much! Brock.”

QUINNLAND EINFELDT – “Happy Mother’s Day to all of the amazing mothers out there!!”

KAMERYN KEEGAN – “To my wonderful mom, I appreciate all you have done and everything you have sacrificed for me. I enjoy shopping, hiking, and playing games with you and I hope we can do all those things when I’m in college too! I love you so much. Have an amazing Mother’s Day! Kameryn Keegan.”

LILLIAHNA JOHNSON – “Dear Mom, Happy Mother’s Day! Words will never express how much you mean to me. You are my strength, my comfort, and my forever home. Every sacrifice you made, every sleepless night, every warm hug has shaped me into the person I am today. I often don’t say this, but thank you for everything. Lilliahna.”

BRADLEY HARTMAN – “Dear Mother, I appreciate everything you’ve gone through with me. I love you because you’ve always been there through the hard times. And you never questioned me about anything. You were always there through every surgery, every appointment and have made my life better than ever. I love you because you never ever left m y side and always were there to help when needed. Bradley.”

GRANT COLLINS – “Dear Moms, I love how you take care of the things I don’t want to do. I love how you surprise me by taking me out for food sometimes. I love that you genuinely want to spend time with me. I love you, Grant.”

Isabella Angelo. *Image provided by Photographic Arts*

ISABELLA ANGELO – “Happy Mother’s Day Mom! I appreciate everything you do for me and how you are always there for me when I need it. I know you will always be there for me and will always be my biggest supporter through all my accomplishments. I love you so much! Love Bella.”

Anna Davis. *Image provided by Photographic Arts*

ANNA DAVIS – “To my mom, Kate, you are the best mom I could ever ask for, and I truly do mean that. You work harder than you ever need to. While the long hours you spend at work and the week-long trips you have to take pay off, every second I spend with you means so much to me. I am leaving for college soon, and I will miss you every day. Maybe I will start calling and actually make sure to respond to texts. You are my biggest supporter, and I am your biggest fan. Love, Anna.”

MARIA HARTSOCK – “My mom is my biggest inspiration in life. She is the smartest, most talented, genuine, and kind soul in the world. After everything she’s been through, she never gave up on herself or her family. Through our ups and downs, she was patient and kind to me and always treated everyone with respect even if others didn’t, I love her with my whole heart and she deserves the world.
She is my best friend and mom all in one. I don’t know what I would do without her guiding me. I love you momma! Maria.”

JACK COOPER – “To My Mom, thank you for everything you’ve done for me over the past 18 years. Although I become more independent every day, I would not be who I am if it weren’t for the lessons you’ve taught me. Even though I will be moving out in August, I might miss your endless nagging about my homework. Even if it seems as if it goes unnoticed, the effort you put into raising me is beyond appreciated. Although raising me has been a challenge when I was an angsty teen, you never gave up, and I’ll always be thankful for that. I love you, Mom!”

ANNABELLE ROPP – “Everyone says they have the best mom, but I truly believe I have everyone beat. My Mom is the greatest role model I could have ever asked for. She is always there to support me and bring a challenging opinion to better my perspective. I can only hope that I am half the person, but especially half the mom she is. Annabelle.”

LIBERTY BRUMBAUGH – My mother is the most selfless and self-sacrificing person I have ever met. She is always willing to come to any of my or my siblings’ sporting events, even if she already has a full day of work or cleaning our house. She is our number one supporter in everything we do, no matter how amazing we do of if we fail the first couple of times. She is always down to grab ice cream or a fun drink after a long day, to celebrate an accomplishment, or just because. This year, she has sacrificed so much for me, willing to stay in Geneseo with my sister and me so that I could finish up my senior year somewhere I feel comfortable and be with my friends for my last year. That means she doesn’t get to see my dad every day like she used to, but she was willing to make this sacrifice because she understands me and loves me beyond what I can comprehend. I am beyond blessed by God because He gave me the perfect mom who is always there for me. Liberty.”

MICHAEL PETERSON – “My mom is the most hard-working, faith devoted person I know. She puts in 110% of hard work and devotion to anything and everything she does. She is always committed to being the best at what she does and she is the best. With her job she has long nights of work but she always makes sure she is there for me and everything I do. She is one of my biggest supporters. Whether it is a long drive for a hockey tournament or for a rodeo, she will always be there for me in some way. She is the best mom I could ask for and I appreciate everything she does for me. Michael.”

CAMERON MELCHERT – “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. Thank you for being the best mom I could ask for and always supporting me no matter what. From taking me to all of the baseball tournaments in the past to now supporting me as I go off to college this fall. I could not be more grateful for what you have done for me. Thank you for everything, love you. Cameron.”

NINA SCHMEDDING – “I love my mom because she is always there for me, no matter what. She is always the person I go to when I’m sick because she knows exactly what my family needs. She is a great cook and always helps me with spices and what to add in each dish to make it better. I love how she can have fun but also be serious when need be. She always hears about my boy problems and drama, telling me what to do to fix them and teaching me to grow as a person. I love how she gives me advice in a non-condescending way and as a way to lift me up and not tear me down. She’s awesome, and I love her so much!!!!! Nina.”

MEYA POLLOCK – “My mom is my best friend. My mom and I have been through many tough times together, but she has always put me before herself, and for that I thank her every day. She has always been my number one supporter from the very start. She has never missed any special moments in my life, so I get to say every special moment and accomplishment I’ve done, she was there to experience it with me. Even though there are days when her and I are too similar to each other and butt heads, we always end the day with a hug. She has taught me to never end the day on a bad note, but instead go to bed on a good one. Meya.”

GRAYSEN CARLSON – “My Mother is the best Mother I could ever ask for, and if I had 100 more lives, I would pick her to be my Mother every single time. She is the most caring, loving, kind, and thoughtful person you will ever meet in your life. And she just has the light of the Holy Spirit shining off her every single second of the day. I don’t appreciate her enough, but she deserves the world and everything she ever wants. She is the type of person who would do anything for anybody with no questions asked, and that is so amazing. She is always with me when I’m in my highs and even in my lows cause she is so loving and caring for others. Even if she is sick, she is still trying to make sure that we are ok. I know I don’t say it enough, but I love you, Mom. Thank you for everything that you have done for me and the sacrifices that you have made for me and our family to be happy. And we would not be here today without you. Dad and I would probably be on the couch, eating Honey Buns and Mac and Cheese. I love you to the moon and back. Graysen.”

AVA BREWER – “My mom is a teacher at Geneseo High School, and she has been my rock for as long as I can remember. She is always there for me, especially when I started high school for the first time. As a teacher, she knew how challenging that transition could be and made sure to help me through all of the ups and downs. I am always very appreciative to have such a close bond with my mom and she is definitely one of my best friends! My mom often puts my needs before her own and I will always admire how selfless of a woman she is. She is the main reason why I want to become a speech therapist. I know how much she cares about her students, and I hope to have the same impact on those I help one day! To my mom, thank you for everything you do for me and I am very grateful for you! Ava.”

MALAKI JACKSON – “Hey mom, I could say you’ve always been there and we’ve had lots of conversations about everything and that I love you very much and its hard to say what I would do without you. I hope one day in the future to take care of you like how you did me. Malaki.”

CHARLOTTE KROLL – “My mom is my best friend. She has put all her time and effort into making sure we are safe and taken care of. My mom had me at a young age, so it was very difficult to figure out how to be a mom. What I love about my mom being younger is that she is genuinely the same person as me. I would describe my mom as the cool mom. I have gone to her about everything, and she always gives the best advice. My mom is my role model and has always been my safe space. I’m very thankful for everything she has done for me; she deserves the world. Charlotte.”

HANNAH LOEHR – “My Mom has always been an amazing role model as a parent and as a person. Even when under stress, she remains selfless and thoughtful. She constantly encourages me to be a good person and have goals for my life ahead of me. Seeing her succeed in her work and life makes me so proud to be her daughter. Having her as my mom, my role model, and honestly one of my best friends, is the greatest gift she could have ever given me. Thank you for everything you’ve done for me and will continue to do. Love you! – Baby A.”

JACOB RAMSAY – “I love my mom because she works hard for me to become the best I can. My mom also works hard for my siblings. My mom is also an amazing chef. My mom is very kind and loving. My mom takes care of my siblings and I. My mom also gives us a lot of things such as food, gas, and drinks. My mom is the best mom. Jacob.”

LUCILLE PETERS – “I love my mom more than anyone else in the world. I love her because she is the most selfless woman I have ever met and has always been my number one fan. She has shown up for me at every school play, sporting event, and more for the past 18 years, and I can trust that she will continue to do the same for me even in adulthood. My mom has stepped up for me countless times and I hope to be as strong as she is. She is the most kind, beautiful, and silliest woman I know and I am so proud to be her daughter. She has raised me to be every bit as strong a she is and I am very grateful for who she has shaped me to be. Even though I am no longer a child, I will always depend on her to be there for me and guide me through life. I love my mom very, very much! Lucille.”

By Claudia LoucksGeneseo Current

By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current