Our family is planning to hold a special celebration on Saturday. We will gather for a party to honor my mother as she reaches a milestone, her upcoming 80th birthday.

It was decided that each of us would write Mom a letter, story or a compilation of memories to be preserved in an album. This way we all have a chance to express our gratitude and also extend the celebration for Mom as she can look back at the album as often as she wishes in the days ahead.

I decided to includemy thoughts about Mom in my weekly column in hopes of making her feel especially honored and also because it makes good use of the limited time I have this week for writing. I think this practical approach to accomplishing two tasks at once is something Mom would understand and probably even be proud of, since it was largely her example and influence that molded me to have my strong practical nature.

Looking back I realize my mother was the “queen of practical” and possessing this characteristic has certainly served her well throughout the years.

Mom spent her childhood on a farm on Kings River near Kingston. She was one of the oldest children in a one-parent family. Naturally, she took on many responsibilities early on in life. Much of the farm work, including growing crops and caring for animals, was completed by my mother and her older brother. She also helped care for her younger brothers and sisters.

These early experiences may have been why Mom was just as skilled at outside work as she was the inside work, or maybe that was just her nature. Whatever the reason, it was obvious she liked being outdoors.

Along with her amazing array of abilities andpractical nature she also possesses a strong independent streak that has given her the confidence to do just about anything she set her mind to throughout her life. She has met every challenge head on.

As I grew up, I watched Mom use talents that I just assumed at the time were typical of all mothers everywhere. Not only is she a terrific cook and seamstress, she is also quite handy with tools of all kinds. She reupholstered furniture, sewed prom dresses, tended to birthing farm animals, prepared holiday feasts and used her master-gardener and home-canning skills to keep our large family fed. She also knew how to keep her vehicle running and could use power tools to cut boardsand build things around the place. As a hobby she researched, collected and recorded volumes of family history.

Even all this didn’t keep Mom too busy to help out neighbors when she was needed or participate in other things in our rural community. This included taking on responsibilities at our little country church and attending school events. If and when there was any time left over, Mom loved to relax by going fishing.

This brief overview of my mother’s many attributes obviously doesn’t do justice to my intended purpose of expressing what a great woman she is and the gratitude I owe her. It barely scratches the surface and doesn’t even touch upon the many other benefits I receivedfrom being the daughter of one who exemplifies the “Proverbs 31 woman” so well.

Everyday I appreciate the values and other characteristics that were instilled in me by her guidance and example during my early years, and I continue to benefit from her friendship and support.

I hope that she will feel the honor she deserves, not only during her birthday celebration on Saturday, but each and every day of her life. Happy Birthday, Mom! Heartfelt thanks for everything.

Annette Rowe is a freelance writer and a speechlanguage pathologist at Siloam Springs High School. She may be reached by e-mail at awalkinthepark50 @ yahoo.com.

Opinion, Pages 6 on 11/10/2010