Celebrating Local Moms on Mother's Day

Mothers and grandmothers often give us valuable gifts. To celebrate Mother’s Day, Aliso Viejo moms share the best of what they've received.

Joanie Triestman's mother demonstrates the importance of a positive attitude.

“My mom is always giving me gifts that are truly priceless," Triestman said. "The most important gift has been showing me throughout our lives how to handle difficult situations with grace, determination and most important, a positive attitude.

As a stage IV cancer patient, diagnosed in April 2010, with ongoing chemo treatment, I cannot imagine how my mom handles being a mother of a daughter with cancer.

She continues to give me the gift of her incredible attitude and encourages me to have the strength for my husband, son, family and friends.

Every Mother's Day, I appreciate being here with my son to celebrate being a mother. Last week, my son gave me the best mother's day gift ever. He told me, ‘Mom, I know why you are still alive. It is your amazing awesome attitude.’

My mom's priceless gift to me is the gift that keeps giving.  Knowing that my son understands how important a positive attitude is, I realize that is the most important gift a mom can give to her child.”

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Lisa Rieden remembers her grandmother’s warmth and attention:

“It often comes down to the little things in life. Small gestures surround you, making giant impressions that impact your life forever. For me, my grandmother was everything — safety, warmth, love and she smelled amazing.

When I let myself drift off into my memories of her, I come first to her eyes. They were like cornflower blue in the Crayola colors of my youth.

The funny thing is, we didn’t go to extravagant places or expensive dinners. My grandmother and I just were together doing everyday things. Holding hands, leaning in and mostly she was listening. 

She was quiet and calm when I told her wild thoughts that were obviously not sound decisions. She just held my hand and listened. She looked into my eyes with her cornflower blue love, listened and heard.

My gift to my three daughters is time, sometimes only moments. I reach down and take their hand and try to remember that their little hand will only be little for a short while. I try to remember to be wise and to be silent. The silent part is by far the hardest.

As I look down at this keyboard I see my grandmother’s sweet hands in my own aging hands, and I hope she looks down from Heaven and is proud. I hope she knows that just those sweet eyes and hands made my world wonderful.”

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Triss Chesney shares her mother's sense of adventure:

"We always knew we were going on a road trip when my mom made her special road food, rice balls and grilled meat. Then, our whole family, my parents and two sisters, would pile into our big green van and head for the open road. The destination wasn’t as important as the fact that all of us would be together. 

I think becoming a mom somehow helped me understand my own mom better. So, it makes sense that one of my favorite things to do is to pack some snacks and go on an adventure together.

I find that I am the most calm and content when I am with my husband and son, just the three of us. It doesn't really matter where we are. It’s just the fact that we are all together.

I feel like I found my little place in this world and this is the way my life was meant to be."

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Kathleen Jorgensen remembers how her mother made her feel special by just being there and listening:

“As the second oldest of eight children, it must have been difficult for my mother to carve out time for each one of her children, yet she had an extraordinary ability to make each one of us feel special.  

I remember as a teenager, I would come home from school and inevitably find her on her bed nursing a baby.  I would lie on her bed next to her and unload my day.  My mother was an amazing listener and always knew the right thing to say. She had a depth and wisdom beyond her years.   

My mother instilled a deep sense of self-worth that has stuck with me to this day.  Though I lost my mother suddenly over nine years ago, her loving example guides me in raising my own children. Every night, each one of my children looks forward to their "mom-time" on my bed.  

I am reminded each Mother's Day of how blessed I was to be raised by such a warm and wonderful woman.”