Week’s excitement different for students without moms

by Johanne Martial MAR02001@BYUI.EDU Scroll Staff

There has ben an almost tangible feeling of excitement in the air at the BYU-Idaho campus since the beginning of this month.

Some students whose mothers are coming for Mothers’ Weekend are impatiently waiting to spend a whole weekend with their mothers.

Others are ready to not only spend time with their mothers but also show their latest accomplishments in college.

Believe it or not, in this joyful moment some hearts remain neutral or even painful because these students don’t have a whole lot to celebrate because their mothers have passed away.

It may be hard for some students to understand the thoughts going through others’ minds whose mothers are not able to come for this reason.

“There is not really a certain time that I think about my mom. I do it every day. Whenever I am having troubles with anything in life or some decisions that I have to make, I do think of her. Sometimes people would ask me what are my plans for Mothers’ Weekend or what I want to give my mother during Christmas time, this is the time when I realize that I am missing a big part of my life: my mother! I still have to make several decisions as a college student now and I would need all the support and comfort of my mom, unfortunately she is not here for me,” Jean Elie Joseph, a freshman from Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, said,

“Sometimes I feel all alone, but when I think that someday I’ll see her gives me strength every day. Still, I miss her because we were good friends. She used to tell me stories of her childhood and the time when she was dating my dad. I would want her to be here right now for Mothers’ Weekend to share everything with her that I’ve done since I came up here. I will only have to deal with it for the rest of my earthly life,” Joseph said.

Two sisters from Kingston, Jamaica, share their feelings about the same situation Joseph went through.

“I am not really sure about how I’m feeling right now because when I first heard about Mothers’ Weekend, I was skeptical about the whole celebration. I do not like when things like that remind me that my mother is dead; even Mothers’ Day makes me sad. I will be happy for my friends, but deep down I miss my own. With this event coming up, I already know that I will be doing things with my friends’ mothers — which I know I’ll enjoy — but later on I’ll feel sadness. If only my older sisters were here, I would feel better about this because I am even looking forward to seeing the mothers on campus,” Nadine Barnes, a sophomore from Kingston, Jamaica, said.

Her younger sister, Debbie Ann Barnes, said that it is very hard, but at the same time it isn’t something new for her.

“It is different for me because I have no memory of her because she died when I was very young. I’ve never had a Mothers’ Day with her and she’s never been to my school. It is something that I’ve gotten used to over time, but it’s still hard. It always makes me think how unfair life often seems. I hope things were different and she would be here with me during Mothers’ Week,” Debbie said.

Luckily, Debbie Barnes is still able to say there is something ‘good’ about her mother’s death.

“I cannot say that her death had affected my life in a negative way. I was fortunate to have four older siblings who taught me all the good principles of life. They tell me what she had taught them and because she is not here makes me want to become like her. She is more of a legend and an example that I want to follow,” Debbie said.