I'm here to remind you that all of those super-expensive, repetitive, churned-out and burned-out Marvel movies aren't real.
But superheroes are, in fact, the real deal.
The only thing is, you call them 'Mom'.
Mothers are indeed superheroes. There's just no other way to describe them at times. If you still have a mother, I hope you realize this and you treat her as such.
And here's the thing, before I get into this topic, I don't want to hear anything like, 'Oh, poor Derek. That's so sad!' because the blunt truth of it is just that it's a fact of life - it ends. You have a mother, and then there comes a point in time where you no longer have a mother.
Whenever Mother's Day comes around these days, I'm just waiting for the day to end, as well as all the never-ending advertisements and celebrations of all things 'MOM' either in storefronts or online.
But still, through those advertisements and promotions and celebrations of all things mom-related, even though I'm incredibly jealous and on the verge of almost anger as I see people celebrating their moms and spending time with her, I can't help but think of my mom, Lynda.
It's been a little over three years since Mom left this Earth on March 28, 2021. She was 69 years old, and this was a woman who we thought would live well into her 80's, so in that sense, I felt especially robbed when everything went down with her that led to her passing. It's that kind of 'gut punch' that you don't quite recover from, simply because you just don't expect it.
Here's my mom in a nutshell, as I wrote in her obituary.
Mom enjoyed so many things about her childhood. Growing up on the farm near Bounty, if the day wasn't spent working the land or harvesting the goods from it, then it was considered a wasted day. She spent more than a fair amount of her time in the garden that she oversaw, bringing the crops in for all to enjoy. When she wasn't pulling the goods out of the ground, she was canning them and learning all of her own mother's tricks in the kitchen along the way, as well as those of her future sister-in-law, Verna. Mom was so close with both of them, and she retained so many of those life lessons for the rest of her days.
It wasn't long before the family started growing through the 1980's, as Mom would welcome her own three sons into the world: Perry, Derek, and Brendon. The Ruttle family was now quite a healthy size, which made for some legendary holidays and get-togethers over the years. Mom's career path would take her to different as well as some familiar places over the years. After leaving the employment of Mr. Pick, it wasn't long before Mom found herself in the health care field, working in Milden and then over in Outlook at the Pioneer Home. She would make many friends at these locations along the way, and the way she cared for people endeared her to many residents who would come and go through the years.
Later, she would return to the bar in Conquest, this time as the owner and this time rechristening it Ma's Tavern. Many memories were made with the many characters that wound up walking through the bar, but above all, it was a place of love that Mom truly made her own. One of the best memories of the bar was in June 2011 when it seemed the entire village of Conquest banded together to throw Mom a surprise 60th birthday party, complete with an Elvis tribute artist. The look on Mom's face was absolutely priceless! Her night was made! We touched on holidays earlier, and it would be wrong to not include the destination of Candle Lake in a recollection of memories. It's amazing how this place ties so many of us in the family together.
Mom's sister Hazel and brother-in-law Keith's cabin was the foundation of so many summertime vacations, and for others in the family, wintertime fishing excursions. We remember with fondness heading up north many times over the years, each summer bringing something different. It may have been poetic that just a few Christmases ago in 2018, we returned to Candle Lake when our family rented a gorgeous cabin to spend the holidays. It was on Mom's personal bucket list to do this, and we were so happy to cross that off her list. The surroundings were beautiful; snowy woods, friendly wildlife, and inside the cabin, a roaring fireplace to sit and enjoy. Mom loved it. We all did. The only thing that was missing was the presence of her husband Jack, who passed away in 2013. But she had all three of us kids, plus Perry's girlfriend Kelsey to herself for a few days up north, and for that she was elated. Mom enjoyed life, and life enjoyed her.
She would find joy in the smallest of things, like a meal down at the Elbow golf club while seated outside above the harbour, or even just an evening of coffee and a few friends to enjoy their company on her deck outside. Gardening in her yard. Redoing her kitchen. Changing up the look of her house. For Mom, it was the little things that sometimes made the most impact on her. We should all learn to remember those little things. Sometimes they're the things that make life worth living. Life was worth living with Mom in it. We will miss her so terribly, and we'll all have so many cherished memories and heartfelt moments to remember her as the giving and loving woman that she was. She loved life and all that it offered. In return, it loved her.
Love your mom. Cherish the time you spend with her. Make memories. Have conversations about literally anything. Learn from her. Take what she says to heart. Don't take anything for granted. Remember the little things in life; sometimes they end up making the biggest impact.
Because one day, you'll wake up and the stinging reminder that she's no longer here will hurt just as much as the day that she left this earth.
Call your mom today, friends. It surely doesn't have to be that one Sunday every May. She deserves to hear your voice, and some day, you'll be willing to give anything in your life just to hear hers again.
I miss you and I love you, Mom.
For this week, that's been the Ruttle Report.
