Valerie
OMG. Tears. More tears. Such a touching bit about Mamie.
Congrats Val. An email has been sent!! Thanks everyone for Entering!!!
This Mother’s Day, I’m working with Clever Girls in support of Macy’s Heart of Haiti to shine a light on the “trade, not aid” program, which provides sustainable income to Haitian artisans struggling to rebuild their lives and support their families after the 2010 earthquake.
I remember the look on her face the moment she stepped into the newly painted nursery. Her hands cupped over her mouth and tears welled in her beautiful brown eyes.
“Kimbers,” she said, “I can’t believe that this is happening. My sweet little girl who used to climb into my bed in the wee hours of the morning and stick her cold feet against my legs to wake me up. You were a little crap you know. I can’t believe you’re having a baby.”
She twirled herself around the room and then bent over and put her lips close to my stomach.
“Oh KiShawna,” she whispered (she had wanted us to have a girl and she dubbed our growing baby KiShawna, a combination of both our names Kimberly and Shawn), “You’re parents are spoiling you already. You hurry up and come out of there. You have to see this room.”
How to describe my dear Mamie?
Beautiful.
Vibrant.
Outgoing.
Party Animal.
She never left the house without make up because according to her, “You never know who you’re going to run into.”
Caring.
Strong.
The greenest thumb you’d ever meet.
Loving.
My #1 fan.
My motivator.
My comfort.
My safety.
My best friend.
She was my everything.
The day we gave birth to our beautiful baby boy, my Mamie was eager to hold him. I remember her whispering into his ear, “Well, I wanted a girl, but you are so dang cute. I guess we will keep you,” and she kissed his forehead.
When she was done hogging him, she placed him gently in my arms and said, “Thank you Kimbers for the honour of being a Greatgrandmother.”
She got to watch Chunky grow for an entire year. In September of 2009, she became terminally ill with cancer.
It was the worst experience of my entire life watching someone who has been such an integreral part of my life let go. I held her hand so tightly, as if I was willing her to stay just a little longer.
As she began to slip into a coma, I wanted to tell her something. Anything. I leaned close and whispered, “Thank you for being my Mamie. You were the coolest person I have ever met. I love you.”
I think of her a lot.
When I’m out in my garden.
When we put up the Christmas houses she adorded so much.
When I watch our beloved Maple Leaves on Hockey Night In Canada.
When I need to run away to her house for a hug and homemade brownies.
When I have something exciting to share.
When I look at my son and think of how much she loved him even before he made an appearance into this world.
She was my world.
Love you Mamie.
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I recieved 2 Heart of Haiti Pendants from Macy’s(pictured at top of the page). These handcrafted pendants helps to raise awareness and celebrate artistry and regrowth for other struggling moms and families in Haiti. The sales of Heart of Haiti products at Macy’s put real, sustainable income into the hands of the artisans who create them, changing their lives in remarkable ways.
I wanted to give one of these pendants away to one of you. You all have been such a source of strength to me during the good, the bad, and all that’s inbetween. You don’t know how much each and every comment, email, tweet, etc. means to me. So I’m paying this forward.
All that I ask is for you to tell me about a special woman in your life.
That’s it. Oh, and I’ll ship this internationally 
This is a short giveaway since I’m having surgery soon and I’d like to get things in order before the big day. This will start April 17th 2012 and ends on April 21st 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Random.org will choose the winner and I’ll contact you via email.
Good luck and thank you for being so supportive.
Thank you to Macy’s Heart of Haiti for sponsoring my participation in this “Share Your Heart” promotion. I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. All opinions expressed here are my own
Your Mamie is just adorable, and I know you must miss her very much. I know I can’t make you not worry about your surgery..it’s going to be OK, i just know it will!
My Nana lived with us, Irish, strong and proud. She used to sew and she loved to make pants suits. I think we found a million of them in her closet when she passed away.
When i would come home from school,she’d call my name….” Jennifer come in here for a minute, I need to pin this under the arm.”
Then inevitably she’d stick me with at least on pin in each arm pit before she fixed what needed to be fixed.
EVERY DAY of my childhood I was her human pin cushion and I’d give anything be that for her one more time!
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What a beautiful gorgeous Mamie you had. I love that she loved you so, and Chunky too.
My grandmother shaped my childhood. I think of her often, and the last 10 years without her in my life – it’s left a grandmother-shaped hole. I’m sorry she never got to meet my Monkey.
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What a lovely tribute to your grandmother. And this upcoming surgery will all be behind you soon.
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Oh, Kim … that post is going to make me tear up all day. Not only was your Mamie amazing, she was really, really SPECIAL. My Comanche grandmother (we call our grandmothers Kaku) was (along with my grandfather) my heart. They gave me the oral history of our people, a legacy & a thing to hold onto with real pride when life at ‘home’ got unbearable. They taught me our language, our customs, showed me about planting and identifying what herbs were good for what in healing. They taught me our dances. They made me truly understand that I BELONGED. They loved me. They died two days apart the Christmas after my 10th birthday & I had NO ONE to love me for the rest of my childhood. Well, that’s not TRUE. My Aunt Adeca loved me but she was far away. I learned LOVE from them the way YOU did from your Mamie. We were SO lucky, Kim! I wish I were there to help you out with caring for Chunky & the household stuff after your surgery. The more I ‘know’ you, the more I love & admire you. I KNOW your Mamie is smiling on you and she will kiss YOUR forehead after surgery. I just know it!
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I’m so emotional lately, and this post left me here weeping at 8:08am….a new record. Your Mamie sounds terrific, and her and my dad can cheer on the Leafs together from their box seats in Heaven.
My special woman is my best friend, Joanne, who re-introduced me to a faith I had lost, and now am fortunate to be embracing again (and I live right next door in Winnipeg, so shipping wont’ be that expensive ~wink wink~)
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Yesterday I wrote about a special woman in my life. Take a look if you have a chance.
http://thedeliberatemom.blogspot.ca/2012/04/apple-pie-and-memories.html?m=1
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What a sweet tribute to someone that was so special to you! Loved the pictures, too.
I go against the grain with a special woman in my life – it was actually my mother-in-law. The last few years before she died, we got very close, sharing secrets, finding favorite movies, talking TO each other, not just at each other. She was a special lady.
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Another beautiful post! My special woman was my Mother, too, Kimberly. The day she left us in Feb 2010, I started a blog as a tribute to her. I miss her too. My son and She were lucky to enjoy each other for almost twelve years. She was rushed to hospital from a collapsed lung and after five days on complete life support, her heart just stopped.
Your Mom is beautiful. Thank you for sharing this lovely post.
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Your mamie sounds like an amazing woman. And so witty! I love it. I can imagine how much you miss her.
My mom and grandma are both very, very special to me. My mom has been my strength through the hardest times of my life, and my cheerleader through the best. My grandma has always been my #1 supporter, my cheerleader, the one that spoils me most (even at 31).
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Tears, tears, tears and a big lump in my throat.
No pendant needed, and you know who my one and only who saved me was already.
My abuela.
Without her, we’d be nowhere.
SHe is still my moral compass and my friend who I talk to every night.
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ACK, you made me ugly-cry with your sweet story!
My mom (who I call Marma – I guess Mom seemed too obvious) is my biggest supporter; she never judges even when I make terrible decisions (which is often)! Like your Mamie, I immediately want to share all my big news with her, ask her gardening questions, get parenting advice… She’s my best friend.
We’re lucky – everyone should have a Mamie or a Marma. 
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My mom and I have a love/hate relationship. She is the strongest woman I know and I credit her for passing along her strengths to me: perseverance, smarts, and compassion are just 3 of those qualities. But I am also fiercely independent and it’s my “pig-headed” determination to hang on to my independence that creates a wall.
In other words, our relationship is complicated …
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My special woman is my friend and midwife Trish. She believed in my strength when so many told me I couldn’t. She saved my life more than once through this depression and continues to love and support me as I struggle.
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Such a sweet tribute. xo
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You made me cry at work!
My special woman is my Grandma. She passed away suddenly 6 years ago and she was the most amazing woman. She served at her church, the Lions club, Meals-on-Wheels, Christmas hampers…you name it she helped and gave each place 100%. She was the most loving woman ever. She always wore bright clothes and big tacky costume jewellery and always looked stunning! She was the most beautiful and selfless woman I have ever met.
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what a sweet post, i’m so sorry you lost her. my mom is really REALLY important to me, i cannot imagine my life without her, i don’t even like to THINK about it, she will live forever, right?
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What a beautiful post. Made me think of my Grammie Pat. Picking onions in her garden, going for long walks. They way she was convinced that riding my bike too fast was going to get me run down. Thanks for sharing a beautiful moment.
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Hi Kimberly,
My name is Kelly and I work with Heart of Haiti. Thanks so much for sharing such a moving story and for sharing Heart of Haiti’s mission with your readers. I don’t know how I’ll be able to handle reading all these Mother’s Day posts if there all as heartfelt as this one! My grandmother is not doing so well these days and it’s so hard watching them give up the good fight.
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Oh my honey. Well you know me. I love my mama more than words. I’m glad that we had one mother’s day to share together (while I was a mama too). I wish everyday that she could see my girls growing. That she could talk me down. I wonder how different things would be if she was here. Sigh.
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Wow, your Mamie was adorable! I never really knew my grandparents. The special woman in my life would be my mom. Now that I’m a mom I can truly appreciate all that she went through, raising myself and my brothers on her own. The sacrifices she made. Not sure how she did it, and I’d love to know but unfortunately she has dementia that is progressing and she is unable to tell me. When the time comes and she has left us, I guess I can read some of her journals that she kept when she still had her memory and hopefully that will shed some light for me. For now I’ll just enjoy who she is today.
Great post, lady!
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My mom is the special person in my life. We do a lot together. My husband’s grandmother too. We deal/dealt with a lot of health issues with them both in the past year and I am amazed how well they hold up – better than the rest of us! Your Mami was cute. I wish my nan would have met my kids, she would have loved them.
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My #1 fan.
My motivator.
My comfort.
My safety.
My best friend.
She was my everything.
000h, Kimmy, I love your Mamie & I love you. <3
~~~~Beautiful, heartwarming post.
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She was stunning. You look like her.
You are an important woman in my life. Thank you for the talks, the support, and the friendship. You are a gift.
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What a REALLY sweet tribute. I’m in love with her by reading this. She had a feisty nature, it seems, which may explain you a bit…
I think we all have that one special family member who gets us better than anyone else, and I think the way you captured your connection was so beautiful. I feel like a voyeur to your bond and I’m happy to have experienced it through your words.
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OMG. Tears. More tears. Such a touching bit about Mamie.
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This made me cry. I was so close to my grandmother and unfortunately lost her in 2008. She never got to meet my youngest children and that hurts my heart.
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My grandma just passed a.few days ago. I love her so very much. When I told her about our daughter she was so giddy saying she had hoped and.prayed.for us to give her a great-grand baby. I thought it was funny and blamed her for the oopsie :p She was my rock, she was always there for me. I’m thankful she got to see Maddie for as long as she did. When she was on her way out in the hospital, I showed her a video of Maddie kicking a ball in the.front yard. I will never forget the joy on her face. I’d give just about anything to hear her voice again, to call me an idgit for worrying so much about her and crying so much.
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She was obviously so precious to you, she still is. I have wrote a post about my Grandmother
http://nikkysstrengthandweakness-nikky44.blogspot.com/2012/03/letter-to-my-grandmother-dear-teta-ida.html
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Beautiful tribute to your Mamie, Kimberly. You look so much like her!
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A lovely tribute to your Mamie. I didn’t have a grandma or grandpa growing up — I’m so happy your Mamie was there for you.
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I’m not entering, but oh my gosh, I was so touched by your loving story of Mamie.
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I JUST wrote about my mom and the inspiration she still gives me though I lost her to Cancer when i was 6.
http://misfitmatriarch.com/2012/04/12/i-sound-like-my-mother/
I lived with my Nonna for sometime after before I lost her to Cancer almost two years ago now.
The comfort I have is that they left me with an appreciation in loving to one’s fullest ability, and I certainly try to do that
I’m certain your Mamie left you with great things that you will pass on to your own child even if you don’t notice it.
xoxo
xoxo
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girl i wish i could tell you i had someone like your mamie in my life who was constant, that i could run to. but i didn’t. i’ve had marvelous friends who always have my back, who were there sometimes, but never anyone i “knew” i could run to no matter what. i love this story about your mamie and thank you for sharing it love. big big hugs girl.
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She sounds just amazing. Now I’m sad.
Love this post girl.
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I always feel weird when blog posts make me cry, but…this post made me cry. Your mamie sounds like quite a woman!
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This is such a beautiful tribute, Kimberly. My heart ached reading this and in seeing the pictures of your mom. I’m sorry for your loss but I am glad that she was able to meet your son. And having the pictures and memories of he and her together are truly a blessing.
My mom is also my special lady in my life. Since becoming a mom, we’ve become closer. I “get” her now in a way that I chose not to when I was growing up, if that makes sense.
I’ll be praying that your surgery goes smoothly and that you have a speedy recovery. Hugs.
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My Aunt is my go to for all things my-kids-are-driving-me-to-the-brink-of-insanity-and-I-want-to-sell-them-to-the-gypsies! I can call her and she will listen, understand & laugh. She taught me the most important lesson in parenting “If you don’t laugh, you’ll cry.” This carries over into every part of life quite well!
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That’s so sad and so beautiful at the same time. How I hope to be just like your Mamie.
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Such a beautiful post
I am extremely close with my grandmother (my “Oma”) and I can’t even imagine life without her. I know she is getting older but I still feel like she is only 60 or something (yes, I am in denial). Makes me realize how important life is and to cherish every moment I have with loved ones.
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Special person: my mom. She has always been the most kind and giving person I have known. She would go without things just to make sure her “friends” (and I’m sure anyone form the cop who pulled her over to the kid who bags her groceries to her neighbors as friends). I love her and her big heart.
xoxoxo
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Oh my goodness. She sounds like she was nothing short of awesome. Thanks for sharing her with us. My grandma was special to me too. She always knew how to make each one of us feel really special and like we were her favorites. I didn’t have her long and I didn’t get to see her meet my babies. Every time I got to see her was special. I think about her often as well. Funny story about her… I was there at her house in her bedroom watching her put away clothes. My sister had some gum. The kind with juice in it that would squirt in your mouth. My sister asked if I wanted a piece and I said no because I hate when it squirts in my mouth. Without a second thought, she piped up with, “well then, you aren’t going to like those blow jobs either.” That was completely out of character for her and I think I was maybe a freshman in high school. Anyway, she was great! Someone I really look up to.
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I usually talk about my Mom (Who was AMAZING!) but I’d like to tell you about my Mother-in-law. She was one of the most wonderful people – kind, caring, NEVER critical! I learned so much from her about being a wife & Mother, but most of all how to be a good Mother-in-law! She passed away 1 1/2 yrs ago & we ALL still miss her so much it hurts!
When I am struggling w/something I ask myself what SHE would do – & then the answer seems to come!!! (HollyCunningham) Thanks for the chance!!!((1955nursehjc4me(at)myway(dot)com))
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I had to take a second to wipe away the tears…. beautiful, absolutely beautiful, heartfelt and loving tribute to your Mamie. She sounds like an amazing woman!!!
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My mom is one of the most important woman in my life. She loves me and has given me so much advice about how to be successful and happy.
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