Thank you, Mom

I’m sharing thoughts I first published in 2013 to honor my mother who became an ancestor in 2003.

May 10, 2026

Mother Memories:

For those of you whose moms are no longer physically with you, I’m sharing very good advice from a friend following my mother’s 2003 Memorial Service:

“Honor your wonderful mom by being a wonderful mom (aunt, neighbor, friend) to the children in your life.”

FLAVORS OF HOME

By Donna B. Pierce, first published in 2013.

For moms who drive carpools
and moms who coach teams.
For moms who believe in…
and nurture young dreams.

For moms of adults,
and mommies with tots.
For stay-at-home mothers
and those who do not.

For moms who can’t rest
with new babies at home.
And those sleep deprived
on nights teenagers roam.

For moms who are strict
and to those known for lenience.
For moms who cook daily
or choose drive-through convenience.

For moms who choose kids,
and those babies are born to.
For step-moms, grandmothers
and all others who come through….

with promises kept for
a lifelong commitment
to open your heart
and keep kids safe within it.

Thanks for meatloaf and gravy
and poppy seed cake.
Thanks for beans…red and navy
and biscuits that flake.

Thanks for grits and polenta
and soups left to simmer.
Thanks for family occasions…
cousins invited to dinner.

Thanks for blueberry pancakes
and strawberry pie.
Thanks for turkey and dressing,
loaves flavored with rye.

Thanks for collard greens, cooked
with a small dash of bacon.
Thanks for chicken soup, orange juice
and broths to sooth aching.

Thanks for corn on the cob
and red peppers, roasted.
Huckleberries, persimmons
and marshmallows, toasted.

Thanks for tender beef brisket,
velvet cakes colored red.
Thanks for bagels, injera
and other great bread.

Thanks for couscous and sushi
and sweetened ice teas.
Thanks for tacos, tamales
and pasta with peas.

Thanks for burgers with mustard
and baked macaroni,
Thanks for salsa and ketchup
and thick minestrone.

Thanks for chocolate chip cookies
and blackberry jam.
Thanks for Boston Cream Pie
and Boone County ham.

Thanks for strawberry smoothies,
grape juice and punch.
Thanks for butterscotch sundaes
and grilled cheese for lunch.

Thanks for chicken pot pie
and fried green tomatoes.
Thanks for Kosher dill pickles
and mashed Irish potatoes.

Thanks for stir fries and French fries
and onion rings, too.
Thanks for tandoori chicken,
poi and venison stew.

Thanks for waking up early
to bake cinnamon rolls.
Thanks for slice-and-bake cookies
and s’mores over coals.

Thanks for big feasts for dozens
and snacks all alone.
Thanks for seasoning my life
with the flavors of home.

This Week’s Great Migration Library Q & A:

This week’s Question: In which month are most babies born in the U.S.?
Answer to last week’s Question: What are the colors of the Mexican flag?Answer: Green, White, Red
Photo: Mexican Government.

Thank you for joining me in the Great Migration Library. The doors are always open. Your chair is waiting.

“I am very grateful when you help spread the word about the Great Migration Library by clicking the Like (heart) button and sharing this message with friends, neighbors and family. I welcome comments.” -Donna Battle Pierce

Reader Reminder:

More interesting facts will be revealed by clicking on mustard-colored links.

Great Migration Library website

The Great Migration Library’s highlighted links often connect you to more information, books at AbeBooks, or other independent booksellers, available at the time of our posting. Note: Before selecting from a link, sort through available offerings for desired condition; new or used.

Bookmarks:

The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation, by Anna Malaika Tubbs (Flatiron Books, 2021).

Through Mom’s Eyes: Simple Wisdom From Mothers Who Raised Extraordinary Humans by Sheinelle Jones (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2026).

Contact me for permission to reprint Great Migration Library photos, or photos from the Battle Family Archives.

Please note: I often reference Wikipedia.com as a second source for dates, locations and other information.

Join the Book Search

Please join in my continued search for information regarding From the Plantation to the Doctor’s Office by Dr. H. Roger Williams, published in the mid-1920s. Contact this great-granddaughter with any tips (from libraries, media archives, elders and more — including psychic readers).

Great Migration Library

Discussion about this post

Ready for more?