Mom was so patient with me, especially when I was depressed.  She listened to my troubles and encouraged me. She listened to my stories and poetry and celebrated any successes I had. She let me take over the decorations for every holiday celebration. I have always wanted to be a mother like mine. She was a wonderful role model and a best friend. It hardly seems possible that so many years have gone by. You have 12 great grandchildren now, Mom. I know you would be down on the carpet playing with them all.

Mom and Dad now have twelve grandchildren with the recent additions of Brian Pearce and Tadhgh McKibbon.  How they would love meeting those little ones! I am glad that Mom met Owen and Michael at least. It is fun to see little parts of them in their great-grands too. 

Alanna and I have conversations at midnight sometimes, just like Mom and I did. We carry on a long night owl tradition that goes back as far as my grandfather Faddie Morris and probably back much further. Mom and I would talk and laugh for hours at any time of the day, but I miss those midnight chats most of all.

We celebrated the 45th birthday of our eldest son, a birthday he shared with his Nana Pearce. They celebrated together each year until 2008. When our son was born, Mom came to the Grace Hospital to see him. When she walked in the door of my hospital room I said, "Don't expect a gift like this every year, Mom. This is the best gift I can give you." She was so excited to be a grandmother for the first time she had forgotten it was her birthday.

Mom, you have ten great grandchildren now! Wouldn't you be proud!
The newest baby is little Deanna, Steven and Stephanie's daughter. Oh, and Mom, Eilish loves ballet like you did. She has passed two academy exams with honours. Owen is playing soccer and loves basket ball and he won a prize for his poetry. He likes to write like his dad and I do. Kaytlyn went to Disneyworld with her mom and dad just like you and Dad took Dan and Brenhan. She likes swimming and skating. So does Bev's little granddaughter, Emma Lee. And Max has Dad's smile. Tyler and Cameron are real red heads -so cute. Fionntan is a funny as his dad and charms everyone even at 1year old. Oh I wish you could see them. You would have such fun. I miss you so much but sometimes Alanna and I have midnight phone calls just like we did. 
Love you always, Mollie

Mom gave us so many good hearty laughs at her expense and she didn't mind. She was the most humble of people and never expected the best part of anything offered. She and I went on a three day train trip across Canada in 2000. When she knew that I would be sleeping in the upper berth, she said that she would take it instead. Of course, I pointed out that having an 80 + year old climb into an upper berth would leave me, a healthy middle ager with a great deal of embarrassing explaining to do. Ah Mom. How I miss our great laughs together!

Mom made the most wonderful Christmas cakes, well preserved with sherry, and iced with almond paste. They always had a decoration of holly made from red and green cherries. I never seem to make the cakes as well as she did and sometimes the holidays run out before I even make them. Not Mom. I used to help her make the cakes when I was small. I cut up the fruit and got all sticky. Mom never got impatient. I really miss her at Christmas.

My mom was the dearest person I have ever known. Everyone who met mom loved her, even salespeople. She had the most beautiful smile and was always an encourager to friend or stranger. Mom was a gentle person with a wonderful sense of humour. She could laugh at herself. Mom always thought of others first, taking food to the sick and bereaved in the neighbourhood. We miss you Mom.