Mother’s Day 2025

Mother’s Day 2025

By Ruth A. Sheets

Today, Mother’s Day, Joyce Vance, lawyer, commentator, mother wrote about her mother and grandmother who were independent activist women at a time when that was not only not appreciated but discouraged.  The following is my response to her Substack piece, also, a tribute to my own mother.

Joyce, your mother and grandmother were of that group of women who were standing against the insanity of male domination when few women had the ability to say anything. Their courage and that of the other women who chose to act has made it possible for so many spectacular women to now be in the leadership of the people who are keeping our world going: researchers, teachers, mothers, medical workers, entrepreneurs, artists, musicians, athletes, clergy, lawyers, judges, legislators, activists, scientists, often holding more than one of those roles, who care about our world and are determined to make it a better place for everyone.

I honor all women today and will push us to do even more to serve our world: raise up all children, call out men and women who abuse positions of authority, and keep right on standing and fighting for what is right for all, not just for the few men and fewer women who live by or because of vengeance, anger, resentments, and hatreds, the way of death and destruction.  

My own mother was a remarkable woman who was extremely talented at many things.  I believe she saw herself as a less than excellent mother even though she enabled her 5 children to excel at nearly everything we tried.  She was definitely not a helicopter mom or anything close to it, (and probably could have kept better track of some of us).  I honestly don’t know how she managed five independent, mouthy children/teens. 

Some of my best memories of my mom include her playing the organ after dinner while we, the whole family sang and harmonized.  I also remember Mom singing in our church choir next to me and realizing what a good singer she was, an alto always on the right notes and harmonizing with my soprano line.  I also remember her coming to Nashville while I was in college, to be with me after I had eye surgery and that she went to classes with my roommate and loved it.  She was in the group of women who were relegated to the roles of secretary, teacher, or nurse, the latter two only if one could afford college; she couldn’t.  She was a skilled knitter, crocheter, embroiderer, and general craftswoman.  We often wore the clothes she made for us.

Here's to our mothers, women who do their best then learn to do better, women who have given birth to us and set us on a path toward adulthood.  Those paths are not always positive, caring, joyful, but it is our choice whether we will walk good paths or take routs that are harmful to ourselves or others. 

I thank my mother for sharing her talent with the world:  her competence, her music, her trust that my sisters and I could make it, and we have.  Happy Mother’s Day to all our mothers and other women in our lives who have helped shape who we are and will choose to become.