It can be humbling to remember how much our mothers supported us throughout the years, even as we made mistakes, called them names, or didn’t say “thank you” after they went out of their way to make every day of our childhood as special as possible. Mothers don’t raise us because they expect praise or recognition: they do it because they love us with everything they have.
Mother’s Day is the one day a year we’re supposed to really show much we cherish them, and how much we appreciate all of the lessons they taught us (even if we did call them a name or two). At GrandPad, we know that Mother’s Day means something different to everyone: your relationship with your mom is completely unique. In another edition of our Mother’s Day series, we’ve interviewed enthusiastic mom and loyal GrandPad user Esther Albuquerque to see what Mother’s Day means to her.
Storytelling has always played an integral role in Esther Albuquerque’s life, and has tragedy and perseverance. Esther’s father passed away at the incredibly young age of 35, leaving Esther’s mom to raise Esther and her two siblings by herself. Esther has very few actual memories of her father, but came to know who he was through her mother’s stories. She learned that, while her father only attending 3rd grade before leaving school to work, he was fluent in seven languages and had a natural knack for learning.
Esther’s mom raised Esther and her siblings in Portugal, in “a shack,” according to Esther. But despite their economic situation and the absence of a father and husband, Esther’s mom toiled endlessly to ensure that Esther and her siblings “were never hungry, or cold.” Nodding as she recounts her childhood, Esther confides, “She took good care of us.” And, after a moment, “My mom told us stories about my dad all the time.”
Fast forward several years, and Esther couldn’t be more delighted with motherhood. When asked what the best part is about being a mom, Esther practically shouts back “everything!” She, like many of our interviewees, refuses to even think about the various gifts she’s received in Mother’s Days of the past, or pick one that’s her favorite. Esther simply says, “My kids give me everything. My kids give me everything I need.”
Having been raised in Portugal, Esther always wanted to take her own family to that country and share her childhood home with those she loves most. Esther claims that taking her husband and children to Portugal several years ago was one of the highlights of motherhood, and is a memory she’ll always hold dear to her heart.
Sadly, many other memories have been forced out. She’s suffered multiple strokes over the years, and admits to us that her memory isn’t what it used to be. She describes herself as having a “short memory,” being able to remember recent events but not as many of those that happened a decade or more ago. “It’s tough. I can’t think of many [memories] right now,” she says to us.
We can never control what life throws our way: in the case of Esther, life’s memories have become more precious than ever. Luckily, she can connect with her children via video calling and voice emailing on the GrandPad, even if they’re thousands of miles away. And with the photo sharing feature, everyone in her circle can make sure she never misses out on those day-to-day moments that become our most cherished memories.
Losing memory is tough for everyone. For “super” seniors, often the most meaningful gift isn’t a thing that will be thrown away, but rather a gift that keeps their family a click away. With GrandPad, you’ll never worry about your mother missing another memory.
