Weighing in

Here are some of the dozens of responses we got from readers when we asked how they carried on their mothers’ legacies:

“ Kim (Rader) Moorhead has been running her family’s business, the Logger Tavern in Colville, since her mom was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2000. The business has been in the family since 1967. And there are still pictures of her mom and dad on the wall behind the bar. “The phrase ‘family business’ may not fit the criteria for a tavern, but in our tavern, every one customer we serve has been a part of my family through both my dad and mom,” Rader wrote in an e-mail. “… My husband and my two daughters and I can wake up every morning and know that my mom and dad built a business and left it to me to continue on the ‘Rader Tradition’ of making sure no one leaves thirsty!”

“ Joan Jensen’s grandmother used to knit baby booties for friends and family. And her mother used to knit baby hats to give away to area hospitals and charities. “Now, after my mother’s passing in 2001, I am continuing their legacies by crocheting baby hats and booties and take them to Spokane’s local hospitals for the newborns,” the Nine Mile Falls resident wrote. “Even though I work full time, I find great joy in my spare time in making these hats and booties and always make sure the yarn is crocheted with lots of love for a life that is just beginning.”

“ Mary Rohlman grew up with parents who had a great relationship “My mom and dad loved one another,” wrote Rohlman of Spirit Lake, Idaho. “My dad has been gone over 20 years now and I’m pushing 50, but the gift of love they gave me was multiplied by the love they had for one another. In my marriage, while raising our children, I am fortunate to love my husband. I can only hope this legacy will continue.”

“ Amy Johnson’s mother died in 1984 of breast cancer. Twenty years later, Johnson was diagnosed with the same disease. “Going through cancer treatment made me miss my mom even more,” Johnson wrote. “I decided I needed to rekindle the memories of my mother.” So last year Johnson started “Iz Fest,” to celebrate some of the things her mother, Isabel, enjoyed. “One of my mom’s favorite passions was to cook breakfast outside,” Johnson wrote. “She didn’t care all that much for actually camping but liked to fix breakfast outside. Often we did this at Riverside State Park. Since I live near Riverside State Park, we instead had Iz Fest there. My sister and her family met at my house. We pinned a picture of my mom to our shirts and did a short walk. Afterwards, we cooked breakfast outside, trying to cook food items my mom would have made and played ” ‘Iz Trivia.’ “

“ “I was from an era where our mother always wore the housedress and looked presentable when our father came through the door,” wrote Sharon Mather of Spokane. “She always told me this: When a man works hard all day to make a living, he deserves to have a hot meal on the table. … To this day I am always sure that my husband has something ready for him to eat when he arrives home, even when I am not there.”

“ Dianne Cook’s mother started recycling in the ‘60s and ‘70s, long before it was the popular thing to do. “Mom’s legacy to me is that I think about the footprint I am leaving on this planet, and do a large amount of recycling myself,” wrote Cook, of Spokane. “Mom’s quote to my brother and me was often: ‘I believe our purpose here is to leave the planet a little better than we found it.’ I think she accomplished this, and I miss her every single day.”