May 2018
What are some favorite memories with your mother?
Ben Potter (mom: Karen Potter)
Nice memories of my mom, wow, there’s a lot of them! The most memorable ones are when mom had something to teach us, when she didn’t necessarily tell us it was a lesson but just kind of showed us. One time I got caught playing on the roof, and my mom found out. Instead of being angry, she told me to go to the refrigerator and get an egg. I thought, Ok, she’s not mad, so I’m just gonna go with it. Then she told me to drop it on the floor. I had the hardest time doing that! We live out here in the middle of nowhere and food’s a big deal and dropping it seemed so senseless. I said, “Mom, I can’t do that. I don’t wanna do that!” She’s like, “Drop it on the floor!” So, I dropped it, and of course it splattered everywhere. She said, “Ok, now pick that up and put it back together.” And I said, “Well, I can’t, that’s silly, that’s impossible. I can’t glue that thing back together for the life of me!” She responded, “That’s how I’d feel if you fell off the roof.” That has stuck with me for such a long time now; it’s one of the most vivid lessons in my head.
She had lots of great teachings for us. If we’d get super emotional, she’d say, “You’re the master of your own light. You can choose how you react to things.” That’s played a big role in my adult life. I find her in my mind when these things happen. Recently, at college, my good bike got stolen. At first I was super miffed about it, and then I was like, “Wow, this isn’t doing anything for me.” And I heard her voice saying, “Sucks, doesn’t it? What are you going to do about it? Nothing! Nothing ya can do. Do whatcha can and let that be the end of it.” There are lots of good things growing up we don’t necessarily think about until we’re adults and realize how much effort she really put into helping us be conscious about our general awareness of our everyday lives and how we do things.
Avery Runner (mom: Caren Kershner)
One of my first memories of my mom was when I was 1 or 2 years old, back in Ohio, and this huge pillow that was covered with patchouli oil. I’d been so little that a few years later I couldn’t understand why the pillow was smaller than me. Sometimes mom would sit me up on the counter and teach me how to cook. One of the first things I wanted to learn how to cook was lasagna; just the process of boiling down the tomatoes and adding all the spices. She really taught me how to be a good cook. Even to this day, my food is exceptional, even better than hers! (laughing) But, she’s still an amazing cook as well. She’s always been so nurturing and takes care of people and loves baking Christmas cookies and gifting people with food. I really appreciate that about my mom. She taught me how to, even as a man, be sensitive and not afraid of my feelings. A lot of men aren’t really granted that opportunity. Maybe it’s because my dad wasn’t around so I had more of my mom’s influence. I’m really grateful for those experiences with cooking and learning to nurture and take care of myself, my friends, and my community. More than anything, I just have gratitude for my mom. I’m glad we live close and get to hang out sometimes, and I love her very much!
Zack Lavin (mom: Zuki Abbott)
I’m so grateful for all the freedom and tender loving care my mom has given me, as well as all the hard work ethics. I really love this beautiful land that she has shared with me. I grew up in Crestone and it’s changed a lot. It used to be a lot freer. There’s definitely more kids my son’s age, he’s 7, and a lot more going on here for kids that age than there was when I was 7. My mom didn’t vaccinate me, and I definitely appreciate growing up off the grid and not having to deal with hospitals and all the things they would say in “normal society” that people do. I’m pretty good – I only get sick maybe once a year. It’s the freedom, I guess, just livin’ in the mountains.
Sunia Beelendorf
(mom: Michelle Beelendorf-Byer)
My mother is the strongest person I know. Growing up with her, I always felt such a deep sense of security, even when things were crazy or not going the way we wanted them to, she was the rock of constancy in my life. And she taught me how to be a good mother. Whenever I’m with my girls, trying to decide what to do in a crazy moment, I stop and say, “Ok, what would mom do? … Ok, that’s what I’m gonna do!” That just gives me that sense of knowing right from wrong. She is so passionate about what she does, and inspires me to be the fullest, biggest person I can be. My mom was a pioneer, maybe not the first of them, but definitely among the first wave of mothers doing things differently. I’m grateful to have been born and raised in the health food industry and be a non-vaccinated child. She’s given me the confidence to make those choices for my own children and to be a strong person with values and commitment to a way of life that really works. A funny memory I have from childhood is of going to the dentist and him saying, “I don’t understand why your kids’ teeth are so good and how they don’t have cavities when you don’t use fluoride!” She’s like, “I give them probiotics!”
Kelly Hosner-Crowley
(mom: Holly Hosner)
So, there’s this picture I like to look at. It’s when I’m like 3 years old, before I can remember, and it’s of my mom tying my shoes, taking care of me. It’s such a great metaphor for what moms do, right? This 3 year old ready to run and take off and she’s there tying my shoes and I just always think of that, that she had to do all that stuff, amongst whatever else she was doing in her life, she was still always tying my shoes, making sure I had good snacks and was well fed. Now that I’m a mom, I don’t take for granted how much work that is. My mom was also very fun loving. When I was little, we’d go on adventures, constantly, just her and me. She would come up with different ideas of things to do. And she pretty much let me do whatever I wanted – she was very free! She thought cultivating that in me was very important, so she had this rule of thumb: “If it can’t hurt her and she can’t hurt it, let her do it! Why not?” I’m super grateful for that because I feel I’m just full of possibility since she threw no limit to it. And her fun-ness is awesome now that she’s a grandma because she showers Arthur with it, and we love that we live close and he can be by his grandma!
Edie Lee (mom: Sasha Lovelace)
Something about my mother I’ve always respected is that, even though she is highly intellectual, she has always chosen heart as the first entryway to a person. My mother taught that in our Puerto Rican culture, to make someone feel comfortable and a part of the whole is the most important thing, to choose humanness over power and bravado. She has worked for the Crestone community over the years, from the old Charter school, to children’s groups, the Art Gallery, and with me for Neighbors Helping Neighbors. She is a person who really cares. I think we need to change this title, “Mommy” to cover the broad wisdom that it brings and give it more respect in our world, so that people can be both intellectual and compassionate and then seen as wise, not as some simpleton to use and fool to get something free of cost. I think a mother’s role is where you have to choose the path of heart and first see what the other person needs and not what you can give. Sometimes that means pretending you didn't see them make that huge mistake, and sometimes to build confidence you have to hold the wisdom of your experience in check and tell them, "Looks wonderful, dear!"