- April 23, 2024
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Sylvia Dawsey
Kathy Dawsey
Linda Buckles
Teresa McCloskey with her kids, James and Isabella
Erakal Goodman with her kids, Dyman and Deandre
Michelle Schindelheim and her kids, Ariel and Colin Doane
Kelly Pickering and her husband, Casey, with their kids Casey, Bailey and Reiley.
Yari and Pohid Chowdhury with their kids, Jannahid and Jahid
Have you ever wondered why Mother’s Day seems to be much more important than Father’s Day? Not me. Based on my life, I know exactly why it is of greater significance.
The first organized sport I ever competed in was a middle school football game. Losing 33-0 with less than a minute in the game, I ran the ball 60 yards for a touchdown. But, the greatest memory from that game came from the parents who told me that my mother, Sylvia Dawsey, seemed to outrun me as she cheered louder than the rest of our supporters. That was my mother. She always tried to support and attend all of her kids’ ventures, when possible. That was never the case with my dad. I didn’t meet him until I was 23.
And then there is my aunt Kathy. As early as I can remember, she cared for me as her son, and she still calls me her baby and looks after me; her son even refers to me as his brother. When buying my mom anything for a mother’s event, I will always do the same for my aunt Kathy.
Over the last two years, my heart has intertwined with a dear church member, Linda Buckles, who is in her 60s and a white lady (talk about cultural differences). Our church members see us as mother and son.
As we near this Mother’s Day, I’m thankful to meet the many sports mothers I've encountered throughout the area. Seabreeze student James McCloskey’s mother, Teresa, sticks out as one of my favorites, not because she’s ultra-supportive of her two kids—although she is—but because she exhibits that same support for all of the kids in the area, including crosstown rivals. When Mainland kids achieve success, not against Seabreeze, Teresa lets them and their parents know.
When I’m covering a Mainland or Flagler Palm Coast event, I almost surely see either Erakal Goodman (FPC) or Michelle Schindelheim (Mainland) snapping pictures, not just of their kids but the entire team, and they freely share them with all of the team. Whether in or out of the area, they try to attend any of their kids’ events.
And lastly, but not the least, there are support mothers like Yari Chowdhury (Father Lopez) and Kelly Pickering (Matanzas) who play mom for the entire school. Whether they’re taking money at a concession stand, decorating for a banquet, cheering for their kids’ teams, you name it, Yari and Kelly are on the scene, being moms for everyone.
Mother’s Day reminds me that we’re all not blessed to have the perfect life, but most of us are blessed to be able to call these special women moms, or sheroes.
