Sent with Love
Contest finalists share reasons why their mom is tops this Mother’s Day
Staff Writer,
05-11-2009
(Editor’s Note: The following 15 entries have been chosen as finalists for this year’s Jennings Daily News Mother’s Day Contest. The actual first and second place winners will be selected from these entries to receive an assortment of prizes from area merchants. See Sunday’s edition of the Jennings Daily News for this year’s Mother’s Day Contest winners.)
Mother of the Year finalist Nell Miller – Nominated by her daughter, Lisa Semmes
I’ve always believed that Bette Midler’s song, “The Wind Beneath My Wings” was written about my mother and me. She has made me what I am today and continues to be my greatest supporter and friend. I am an only child, but my mom has devoted her life to the “mothering” of many.
She began her compassionate ways as a young schoolgirl taking care of her mother, who suffered from asthma. Then, as a married mom, she cared for my elderly great-aunt and her mentally handicapped son when they moved in with us. She simultaneously cared for her mom, who had developed Parkinson’s disease. After my grandmother died, my mom became my grandfather’s protector and nurse as he grieved and later succumbed to cancer.
What’s incomprehensible to me now as I look back is how I never once felt neglected. I always had the “coolest mom” to my friends. She was there for every party, dance, field trip, and football and basketball games. My friends loved coming to my house and my mom was always there to listen to problems, laugh at our silliness, or give a hug.
Today, my mom continues to keep my own family going. My two teenagers seek her out as a refuge from the chaos of life and she cares for my toddler while I work. My dear husband doesn’t mind the home-cooked meals that she always sends over, either! The disheartening fact is that my mom has done all this while suffering from severe arthritis. Since she struggles every day with pain, I can only imagine that her inner strength comes from love. It’s evident that I’ll never be able to tell her what she means to me. I can only ask, “Mom, did I ever tell you that you’re my hero?”
Mother of the year finalist Krista Reed – Nominated by her daughter-in-law, Courtney Sittig
My mom has all the qualities a mom should have and some added to it. She has stood by me through thick and thin, and she has always had an ear or shoulder to lend at any given moment. But one year ago on May 25, my mom, Cindy Sittig, got the best award ever – she is now not only my mom, but my angel also.
A lot of people have stood by my family and me, but one particular person is my mother-in-law to be – Krista Reed. The day the news came that God had called Mom home, Krista was out of town and she never thought twice about heading home. She took in family and friends the night our lives changed. We didn’t know where to go and we all ended up there. She never complained. She walked the floors with my sister and I and she was up with us before the sun came up. Krista took not only myself under her wing, but she has taken my sister, Cagney, as well. We have a place to go to visit, cry, scream and laugh. She knows the right time for a hug, word of encouragement or just a sweet smile. She has helped us through the hardest times of our lives. She was there when we weren’t sure how we would make it through the next hour, week or month.
Now, nearly a year later, we are still leaning on her. She has opened her house and heart to my family. She has also been a great addition to my son, Hunner’s, life. She will never take the place of his “Cici”, but she has done a great job trying to fill in when he needs it most. Cagney and I love her dearly and we think she has gone above and beyond to be recognized.
Mother of the Year finalist Vicky Thibeadaux – Nominated by her sister, Chasity Cormier
My sister, Vicky Thibeadaux, is without a doubt Mother of the Year. She has two little girls. When you see the smiles on those girls’ faces when she is with them, you will understand what I mean. My sister always puts her girls first. She never had time for herself, but yet, she is always happy. We’ve had a rough year, but she is strong. She always sees the best of things.
If there were Nanny of the Year, I know she would get that also. She is so proud to be a mom. My sister deserves to be Mother of the Year. If she knew I was writing this, she’d probably laugh at me, but when I read the article, I couldn’t help but think of her.
I’m not a very good writer so it’s a shame that I can’t describe her more. But believe me, she needs to be recognized for her love and loyalty as a mother. Thanks for letting me share this about such a wonderful person.
“It’s plain to see, my sister is the best mom anyone could ever be. Her love for her girls forever flowing, leaving anyone watching knowing; their happiness always showing, their smiles always glowing!”
Mother of the Year finalist Kristal Precht – Nominated by her stepmother, Lorraine Lepretre
How can anyone describe the Mother of the Year, as all mothers are special? Hi, my name is Lorraine Lepretre and I am the step-mother of Kristal Precht, who is a very special mother to her children. All mothers would lay down their life for their children, and Kristal has done that. Her son, Haydn, was diagnosed with leukemia and she has never left his side till this day, putting her own pain and anguish aside. After Haydn got a bone marrow transplant, Kristal was diagnosed with breast cancer, which had spread through her body. She never got discouraged and Haydn became her strength to fight for life. She has five children who are her world. Through all the chemo, pain, hair loss and suffering, she never complains. She looks at each day of life as a blessing and takes one day at a time. She continues to fulfill the needs of her children each day and makes pleasant memories for them. When asked how she is feeling, the answer is always the same: “I am fine.” To be 34 years old, have five children, sick children, and cancer and never complain makes her my “Mother of the Year.” She is dearly loved by me and anyone who knows her.
Mother of the Year finalist Kristal Precht – Nominated by her sister, Dorian Deaville
Some days, she looks exhausted. She’s rundown and sore. She’s cooked and she’s cleaned. She’s changed diapers and fixed meals and even helped with homework – all done with a smile, the duties of a regular, everyday mom.
But what makes my sister, Kristal, extraordinary, is that she’s not a regular, everyday mom. She’s a mother of five children, who has been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer. Did she let it slow her down? Did she let it darken her days? No, not a chance.
She’s stood brave in the face of danger. She thrown an anchor into that sea, so that she’s unmoved by any storm.
What is her anchor? I often wonder. What keeps her strong and courageous? How does she do it? Well, she’s got five good reasons. Their names are Abigail, Haydn, Mallory, Brady and Tucker.
“She does so much, and she’s always smiling. I honestly don’t think I could do it,” says Laura, Kristal’s mother. Laura is so proud of Kristal, and neither she nor I could imagine a better-suited woman for Mother of the Year.
Mother of the Year finalist Kylie Egelston – Nominated by her infant son, Kyle Mott Jr., with the help of his great-grandmother, Sandra Egelston
To start off, I’m only 21 months old, so I can’t write yet, but my great-grandmother said she would help me. My mother should be Mother of the Year because she is so selfless. I was born with a cleft lip and I am my mother’s first child. She was only 19 years old and had no idea about my problem until I made my entrance. So it was a little surprising, to say the least. But my mom was strong and started finding out what could be done.
At about three months old, I had surgery to fix my nose and lip. My mother had to feed me with a tube and she had to do it herself because everything had to be done just right for me. A month before I had my surgery, my mother’s mother died at the young age of 36 years. So to say the least, she had a lot of emotions going on at that time. But my mom stayed strong and brave for me.
Her whole life is dedicated to making my life better. I think I’m the luckiest boy in the whole world. Today, she goes to school during the day, then at night, she works at Shoney’s to make life better for me. I hope I grow up to be as strong and brave as my mother, Kylie Egelston. She is my hero. When she walks in the room, my face lights up. Love, Your proud son, Kyle Mott Jr.
Mother of the Year finalist Laura Monceaux – Nominated by her daughter, LaDonna Monceaux
If you look up the definition of the word “extraordinary,” it means “exceeding the ordinary extent or degree.” When I hear the word “extraordinary,” a small three-letter word with a huge meaning comes to mind – MOM!
My mom exceeds the ordinary degree every day of my life. I have never known a person so strong, loving, and caring as my mom. Seven years ago, she lost the love of her life, her husband and our dad, to a tragic sudden death. We were all extremely devastated, but my mom was our rock and strength to deal with such a loss. She never let her grief and sadness overcome her, as she would still wear that heartwarming smile filled with love every day. She made our family the strongest and closest it has ever been.
She always puts everyone before herself and is always thinking of others and doing special things for them. She deserves to be in the spotlight for all the wonderful things she has done for us and for others. Although my two brothers and I are grown, she is still there for us anytime we need a mother or a friend. I have recently became a mom, myself, and I can only hope and pray that I am as special of a mother to my little boy as she is and has been to the three of us. We love you, Mom!
Mother of the Year finalist Carlotta Hebert – Nominated by her daughter, Carrie Byrd
There are so many words to describe a mom. Anyone can be a mom, but it takes a mother to live and show those words. I’ll tell you about a lady that I look at as my mother.
It all begins 15 years ago. I know this lady that took this little girl in that she was neighbors with. The lady was a single 44-year-old school teacher who lived alone, just her and her dog. The little girl was a 5-year-old girl starving for attention, and that’s just what the lady gave the little girl. The little girl and the lady became very close. They started spending time together, going places and getting closer every day. The little girl and her family moved, but the lady still spent time with the little girl.
The little girl’s parents divorced and the kids ended up with the mom. Now keep in mind, any woman can be a mom. On Easter Sunday, 1997, the mom gave the little girl a choice of where she wanted to live. Well, on that day, the mom gave up her 7-year-old daughter without a care. In 1999, the little girl and the lady had been together for three years. The lady finds out that she had three different cancers: pancreatic, colon and ovarian. The lady went through treatment and lost her hair.
Now, at age 16, the little girl becomes a mother to a seven pound, four ounce, 20-inch long baby boy. The lady was so happy to be a granny. Now here we are, in 2008, and the girl is 18, and the lady is 55. The lady gives her little girl to her husband. Now in 2009, the girl, 19, has another beautiful baby boy. Any woman can be a mom, but a true mother loves and bonds.
Hi, my name is Carrie Shawntell Matthews Byrd. My mom gave me up when I was 7 and didn’t care. Here I am, age 20, and proud to say Carlotta Hebert, 56, is my true mother. Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.
Mother of the Year finalist Geneise Pierfax – Nominated by her daughter, Jacquattel Hampton
On the day of May 18, 1973, I met a wonderful person who means the world to me – my mother, Geneise Pierfax. I was born at seven months due to my mother’s illness.
She was born with cerebral palsy, but that’s what makes her so amazing because she took a chance of bringing me into this world. I quote this saying, “When you are pregnant, you have one foot in the graveyard and one foot on the ground.” Well I think my mother had both feet in the graveyard. I came into this world weighing only two pounds, but she never gave up on me. She prayed and prayed. And here I am, 35 years later, telling you how wonderful my mother is. She maybe cannot work a full time job like a normal person could, but I know for a fact if she could, she would. She is just so amazing. She raised me by herself as a single parent, even though my grandparents offered to help. She always said she could do it by herself, and believe it or not, she did. She raised me through rough times and good times and she does not let anything get in her way, despite being handicapped.
As a matter of fact, she does a better job than me or other people who are not disabled. She cleans her home and then comes over and helps me with my four kids. I give her a gold medal for being my mom. She even helps everyone she can help and doesn’t ask for anything back. She always says God gave me the will to do that. I love her so much for bringing me into this world and being the best mom she could ever be, as well as grandmother. Thanks Mom for being there for all of us.
Mother of the Year finalist Velta LaComb – Nominated by Sheila Thibodeaux, Kevin LaComb, Darla LaComb, Isaac LaComb
I would like to nominate my mom, Velta LaComb of Lake Arthur, for Mother of the Year. She is devoted to God and family. We have the utmost respect for our mom. She raised four children on her own, after our father was killed in 1965. She was eight months pregnant with three young children at home and she did an awesome job.
She took the little money from our father’s death that she collected and built us a home, where she still resides today. Times were tough, but never too tough for Mom.
I guess you can say the more we were in need, the harder she worked. About five years after Dad had lost his life, Mom and Kevin (son) mowed yards to make extra money since now we were living on Social Security, which was not quite $500 a month for her and four children; she cleaned house and cooked for Mr. Reed and Delta; she later delivered mail with her neighbor, Ms. Iomogene. She knew she had to find a permanent job, so she went back to school at night and acquired a GED and took the Civil Service test, landing a job as a rural carrier at the Jennings Post Office, where she worked for 19.5 years.
Off and on during mom’s years of nurturing, her house became a home to many family members. Her sister and brother moved in during their senior year of high school; she took in her sister and her children; at different times, she took in our grandmother, two grandsons, and a nephew; and Kevin, her son, and his family moved back home until their home was built.
I’m sure she often wondered why she lost her husband at such an early age. God has sent many family members and a best friend to her, to nurture and love. She met William “Bill” LaBouve in 1968 and to this day, she and Bill have had this courtship for 42 years.
We have always been so proud of our mom, that she raised us to the best of her ability and did a great job. She taught us early in life to be a survivor like her. She is now 71 years old and has had two strokes that we know of and was diagnosed with COPD in 1999. Her neurologist said she had a lot of black areas in her brain, that she shouldn’t be walking or talking. But through her determination, she is still living on her own, doing all her own housework and she can still cook some awesome meals. She is still cooking Sunday meals, which has been a tradition for many years.
She struggles with simple tasks, sees things backwards and has no feeling in her left side, but this does not stop her. Her vision is also affected and she cannot read. But she has adjusted.
I cannot express enough of how much this woman struggles daily and doesn’t complain. I once asked her how she keeps smiling and laughing, and she replied, “I laugh to keep from crying and I talk to God to help make it through each day.”
We believe that God has sent us the most extraordinary woman to be our mom. Not enough thanks can be expressed to our mom for all that she has given to others in her lifetime. She most deserves to be Mother of the Year and it would be a great honor.
Mother of the Year finalist Ruth Delome – Nominated by her daughter, Mary Roy
My mom never had one job. She has had a thousand, and it usually is all at the same time. Like any other child, I felt like my mom could do anything, because she can. At the age of 32, while mom was pregnant for me, she lost her mother, and she began to care for her aging father. Then, four years later, my dad died, leaving Mom with four children under 18 years old.
I remember her and my brother in the freezing cold building a fence or in the July heat watching her pick up hay for our cows. There were times I would go to bed and there was a pattern and material to wake up to a new outfit. She would spend hours making the perfect holiday cake, in addition to the three meals she cooked every day. Every holiday, mom starts cooking days before to make sure everyone has their favorites.
Mom helped for every school party, chaperoned field trips, and even made prom dresses. Mom was the caterer and florist for my wedding. She has been my babysitter and my housekeeper. Even though I have been a nurse for 10 years, I still call Mom when my kids are sick to see what she thinks I need to do. Mom has never expected or taken a dime for the things she has done. She has never complained or felt sorry for herself for the tragedies in her life. Mom holds her head high with a smile on her face and keeps looking forward.
She is not only my mother, but my best friend and my inspiration. I hope I can be a fraction of a mother to my own children as she has been to me. She will always be Mother of the Year to me!
Mother of the Year finalist Wendy Guinn – Nominated by 14-year-old Madison Guinn
There is no written paper or any words that could be written down for me to tell you why my mother should be Mother of the Year. She is not your ordinary mother because unlike many moms, she has given her life up to take care of her nine children (Caleb, 16; Madison, 14; Chloe, 11; Tanner, 9; Hayden, 8; Chandler, 6; Elijah, 4; Elliot, 23 months; and Mason, four months.) With that sacrifice comes many responsibilities - too many for one woman.
She not only deals with her own life and worries, but also deals with the struggles and responsibilities of a household of 11 people. That means that most of her time and energy is spent on cooking, cleaning and doing laundry for all of us. She also keeps up with all of our different sport and school activities. (There are five of us playing baseball in Jennings, all in different leagues.) Unlike normal moms, she takes us all to the mall, movies, brings us to Houston by herself, and takes us on picnics. Through all of the chaos, she always has dinner on the table, and stays looking beautiful as ever. One thing I love about my mother is she does not pick favorites out of her nine children, and gives us the same amount of attention. She tends to always know when something is wrong, even when it is not noticeable to anyone else. She always puts everyone first, then worries about herself later. My mother is the strongest, most-lovable, kind-hearted, gifted woman you would ever meet in your life. That is why I think my mother should be nominated as “Mother of the Year.”
Mother of the Year finalist Geri Futch – Nominated by her daughter, Madeline Futch
I think my mother is so special because she is always there to care for me. She is sweet and kind and caring. She is nice, and has good manners. And best of all, she is the greatest person to hug. And she will help me and my sister or my brothers when we’re sick. She helps us with our homework. I could never ask for a better mother. I think she has the best life. She has four children and takes care of us well. She has a husband, too. She really works hard. I try to help her. She has a baby boy and he needs lots of love. That is when my mother helps a lot. She cooks good. She can cook anything in the world. She is never rude and never ugly. I don’t know about you, but I think she’s pretty special.
Mother of the Year finalist Hershal Broussard Abshire – Nominated by her daughter, Debbie Abshire
There is not one single quality that makes my mom uniquely special, but a conglomeration of numerous qualities that make her the greatest mother anyone could ever have. My mom birthed three children and raised two step-sons. To any outside party, you would not be able to distinguish any love difference of any of these children. She also “fostered” a granddaughter and three nieces. I am very lucky to have been raised by a stay-at-home mom or a “domestic engineer.” To me, she has worn many hats – teacher, mentor, healer, care-giver, coach, seamstress, disciplinarian, genealogist – the list is endless. Fortunately, I by-passed the teenage years, when teens think that their Mom is “uncool” and don’t want to be seen with her. I am grateful that trait never surfaced and I continue to not only enjoy, but treasure my mother’s company.
Her loving, caring ways set the scene for a very nurturing home environment. She has an open heart and continues to provide the understanding needed for whatever situation we are facing. She instilled in me to always value and appreciate our God-given talent and abilities, and when faced with difficulties, to strive a little harder. She taught me to learn from adversity and tragedy, and to not let it harden my heart; to treasure each and every day because with the blink of an eye, things can be quickly taken away.
I have always jokingly called my mom, “Glitzy Mom.” If something has shine, rhinestones, glitter, etc., she will be drawn to it. I can fully appreciate all the sacrifices she had made for me and I know that my “Glitzy Mom” is truly golden and is one in a million.
Mother of the Year finalist Barbara Guidry – Nominated by Hali, Lexia, John and Timmie Guidry
When we were very little, she gladly took us in her home. Me, my brothers, my dad and our little baby sister went to live with the best and most lovable mama and grandmother anyone could wish for.
She made so many sacrifices for us, although she was sick with lung disease, taking a lot of medicine. Still, she always gave us unconditional love, care and affection.
She has gone through a lot of heartaches and grief, but she continued to care for us by washing our clothes and ironing, taking us to doctors and dentists. She always saw we were well-fed, helped us with our homework, took us to school and picked us up. She traveled to our ballgames or any other activities, making sure if one of us were injured, she would be there.
Because we were so young, we didn’t realize how much work we gave her by wanting different foods for breakfast. Believe me, it would be what we wanted, always patient and adoring us. She would read us the Bible and teach us our prayers, take us to church and vacation Bible school, when sick took good care of us. Our papa had colon, heart and brain tumor surgery, but though she was in Lafayette hospital, her concern for us was never neglected. Mama Kay and Papa John she sees about when they are sick. Takes them to doctors, their medicines, groceries, pay their bills and brings them cooked food. She would never refuse to help anyone if at all possible. She loves people and they love her. She adores her family and is the best mom. She always prays for us and gives us good advice. She is our precious angel and we love her.
Mother of the Year finalist Gertrude Jones – Nominated by her son, Christopher Jones
I have one of the most giving mothers of all time. Despite her strong nature to take care of everyone, my mom has recently had to depend on her friends and family. She is a double amputee and is confined to her hospital bed most of the time; although she can get around in her wheelchair. Despite everything that my mom has gone through, she is always in a good mood and tries to make everyone laugh. Another great quality she has is trying to help everyone. No matter what predicament you might be in, if you go to my mom she will, in some form, help or try to get help for you. She has a lot of family and friends that also try to help her, and she never lets them forget how much she appreciates their help. Overall, my mom is one of the best: she is kind, compassionate, giving and upbeat. Everyone should have a mother like mine.
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