Readers from across Canada answer the question: What makes your mom special?
Jane Atwell in Toronto says support and kindness comes naturally to her mom, Jo. “She loves my siblings and me unconditionally and is sensitive to our different personalities. ... She has a brilliant sense of humour that keeps her young and full of life and that we each have inherited.
Scott Nicol remembers his late mother, Margaret, with pride. “She had the courage to leave her abusive, alcoholic husband, four kids in tow, no money, no home to go to,” he says. “There was always food on the table, even though her plate was always the smallest. She was the epitome of sacrifice, giving all she had for her children.”
From Heather Wilson in Toronto: "My Mom is an amazing artist, loves watching soccer, drinking dark rum and diet Coke and loves her kids."
Ingrid Edmunds says her mom Monika is full of grace and humility, with an infectious laugh. “As we both age my Mom has become especially special to me as my most loyal, honest friend and the best deliverer of hard truths a girl could wish for.”
Born in Russia and raised in Germany and Israel before coming to Canada as a teenager and learning English, Lilly Barnes taught her sons Micah and Daniel the spirit of growth, they say. “She keeps growing as a person, as a spirit, as an artist and as a mother.”
“A list of all of the things my mother did to get me down the aisle in one piece would reach across Canada,” says Danielle Johnson in Vancouver says of her mom, Judith.
Marsha McLeod in Toronto cherished a recent trip to the Florida Keys with her mom, Michelle.“I've learned what a gracious, warm, and loving woman my mum is. She's been my rock since day one.”
Kevin Kennedy in Russell, Ont., gets a kick out of his mom, Patricia: “My mom's funny - she says "holy doodle", she loves wine and loves sports - and just turned 82!”
Drupati Maharaj is a fearless, no-nonsense woman, says daughter Devika Shah in Toronto. She is also one of the most selfless, loving and hilarious people on the planet. Here, she’s visiting India, fulfilling a lifelong wish.
Ab Velasco says his mom Lydia’s support, home-cooked meals, sense of adventure and hilarious eccentricities are a constant source of strength for him and his sister.
Ina McClelland is a truly happy woman, says her daughter Catherine. At 94, Ina stays positive despite all the challenges of aging - and looks forward to the Globe crossword every day.
Sue Schaal in Toronto has been stay-at-home mom for four decades. “She truly finds joy in her children,” says daughter Wendy Oldham from Edmonton. “This picture captures that joy and the beauty of a mother's smile.”
Simon Ibell, in Toronto, says his mom Marie is incredible. “My mom has always believed in me regardless of my rare disease,” he says.
Living with her nana and her mom for the first 18 years of her life, “we are like the three muskateers,” says Meghan Elizabeth in Toronto. “She's always in my corner."
Samantha Fullerton, recently married in Kelowna, B.C., says her mom, Val Snodgrass is incredibly selfless: “She worked so hard to give us more than she grew up with”
Faye Tomlinson in Saskatoon is a quiet source of inspiration for her daughter, Joelle. “She adopted me, beat breast cancer, and can balance a latte while riding a bike!”
Stella Lipczynski immigrated to Canada from Poland with very little: Her daughter, Elizabeth Gooch recalls even in the poorest times, she ‘felt like a rich little girl’ because of her mom. ‘I didn't realize until I was older how little we had, yet my mom always kept us clean, fed and happy,’ she says.
The lengths a mom would go: Pauline Lee flew to Athens to support her daughter, Melina from Halifax, in her first marathon. “My parents took the metro in Greece, and met me at a few different places along the route. Mom carried the flag everywhere and all of the Canadian runners were high-fiving her and saying thanks!”
Diana Gaviria, in Edmonton says breast cancer was no battle for her mom’s courage and humour. “She still looks out for me, and although I am grown I still turn to her for support often. Her mom, Victoria Muñoz, was recently told she was cancer free. “We celebrated with a trip to Mexico - where this picture was taken.“
“My mom had three girls in four years and this was how she woke up most mornings; me and my sisters, snuggled in,” writes Allison Stokes, the oldest of the girl (on her mom’s head in this photo, taken in 1985, in St. John’s).