Mom: Always There

When my Mom passed away in September of 2007, each of her kids wrote one comment about her, which I was privileged to read at her funeral. The recurring theme was that she was "always there" for her children and grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Growing up, I didn't always accept her. There was a lot of tension in our house and I sided with my Dad because I didn't understand her and some of her limitations. He later regretted the things he had said to her and I conveyed his sorrow to her the last night of her life, though I don't think she was coherent enough to understand.
I want to speak about her strengths in honor of her near Mother's Day.
We always knew we could come home. I sometimes pictured us down on our luck, with just enough to rent a UHaul and to arrive at her doorstep. We never needed to do that, but other family members did from time to time. If she had $2 left, she would have said "pick up hamburgers or pieces of bakery for yourself and me" and we'd figure out what to do the next day. My parents divorced and I think it surprised all of us how she managed to budget quite well, with some inheritance windfalls here and there, on a very limited income. The kids pitched in to help both our parents in later years, but she managed what she had and shared what she could. She loved seeing her kids and talking to us often.
She showed up for all of our events if possible - every graduation, basketball game, play.. She would save her money for a trip - or would get it for a birthday or Christmas gift - and offer to help with groceries and expenses when she got there if she needed to travel.
She loved to give and receive gifts. She would ask you a month or two ahead of your birthday or Christmas what you wanted. Towards the end, she couldn't afford much, but our Anchor Hocking 13 X 9 glass dish with carrying case (because we go to a lot of potlucks for church) is a nice reminder of her. She appreciated every gift she was given no matter how small or how large. You could not give her a gift early. She would open it right away.
I think I got my comfortableness in talking with people from her. She would converse with people at the bus stop. She was loved by my brothers' friends for her welcoming spirit. She figured anyone she asked for help at the store would be happy to help her.
Sometimes, she could be very funny. Out of the blue, she would make a very unusual but funny comment. She had kind of a whimsical smile, not quite a Mona Lisa, but difficult to understand - like she was thinking about something humorous.
That's a little snapshot of her.