I am very blessed to be the mother of three adult children. Younger moms, believe me, it really does go by fast. 
When I was 26, Andrew came along. He was the first grandchild in both families. This young man has always taken life as it comes and is, in his own way, a true bohemian. He and his wife moved home from out of state after grad school and are getting settled in Arlington.
Patrick came next, he was walking and talking before a year. He was always intensely curious, detailed, deep thinking and reserved but not shy, even as a child. He made a choice to leave college early and pursue a career learning construction from the ground up. Working with his hands as well as his mind is perfect. He is on the general contracting team building the veteran’s home near TCCS.
Our daughter, Isabel, came into the world confident of what her next step would be at each moment in life. We love traveling to National Parks, and she has been interviewing park rangers to learn how they entered the service since she was 8. To this end, she pursued a degree in wildlife biology but quickly learned field work was not for her. A switch to history with teacher certification did the trick. She is studying Public History in grad school and will be interning at Ft. Raleigh N. Historic Site in North Carolina this summer interpreting the area’s history with the Underground Railroad for visitors.
Mother’s Day is special because I am blessed not only to be a mother but to have my mother. Sandra Greenwood was a very young Mommy of four daughters; our dad James is incredibly patient, but that story is for a different day. She took care of Kelley, Kerry, Kim, and Karen, as well as our great grandmother, who we were blessed to have in our home growing up, and a friend who lived with us for several years. With so many girls, we learned patience through fights, fits and all. More importantly, we learned to be strong, caring women who give more than we take.
She is still showing the way, as a leader and volunteer in Arlington Women’s Club and Historical Society spending countless hours in service to others.
Raul and I are blessed that Andrew, Patrick and Isabel are healthy, happy people. They are smart and hardworking. Our kids love each other and are truly friends. The Gonzalez home is open, and their friends are welcome. I refer to the most special friends as “bonus babies.”
Tell your children you love them; we never know what tomorrow brings. One of our “bonus babies” was taken home Easter night. Tell your mother you love her, too. This special young man was welcomed into Heaven by his own beautiful mother who had been gone three years.
We all have mothers – natural, step, adopted and in-law; mine, Martha, is a special woman, as well. I have been blessed to be a mother and to have had my mother, grandmothers, and good friends that I continue to learn from on how to do this most important of jobs.
Have a blessed Mother’s Day,
Kerry Greenwood Gonzalez
With three girls under the age of 13, I am smack dab in the middle of motherhood. I help with school projects, drive to practices, doctor knee scrapes, mediate arguments, and coordinate birthday parties. In this season of life, there are days where “mother” is more of an action verb than a revered noun. But I love being a part of what is just the beginnings of these three amazing life journeys. 
My maternal grandmother passed away last year, and I have spent 2022 keenly aware of how special it was to have such a connection to her and what an impact she had on my life.
Mother’s Day has become a celebration of not simply the relationship that I have with my own children, but of the ways that the mothers in my life have shaped me and my children. I smile when I see my grandmother reflected in the thoughtfulness of Libby’s handwritten thank you notes, in Emma Kate’s meticulous table-setting, or in Evie’s stubborn determination. The acts of a mother’s love are precious family heirlooms, and I am grateful to be able to share these treasures with my girls.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms,
Jeannie Deakyne
