Daughter counts many wonders of motherhood

Daughter counts many wonders of motherhood

What makes a mother? Anyone who has or had a loving and caring mother qualifies to answer that question.

When I pray, I continue to ask God to forgive me if I am wrong in believing He made me a favorite of His for the mother He gave me.

A mother is a person whose love of her children is endless. She teaches her children right from wrong not only with words but also by the example she sets. Her children are taught to love and respect themselves, and others as well, as all God’s living creatures, and to be good and kind to those less fortunate than themselves.

A mother teaches her children that God created people of different races, nationalities and religions, and all are equal in His eyes, and our differences are not to hate others but to try to understand and be tolerant. Her children are taught their souls are banks to deposit that which is good and that which brings us closer to God and makes us better human beings.

A mother disciplines with understanding and intelligence and never with verbal and physical abuse. A mother is many people. She is a caretaker, teacher, guidance counselor, comforter, nurse, provider for her children’s needs and as a tigress protecting her precious children.

I have always known how much my mother loved me, and because of her wisdom and goodness, my life has been enriched. My mother resides in God’s heavenly mansion, but my love for her always will continue.

A world without mothers would be a world robbed of love, life and joy. I’ve heard it said a mother’s heart continues to grow because her love continues to nourish it.

To all the mothers of the world (including me), may your special day be filled with good health, love and joy ... plus hugs and kisses.

Mary Lou Jurina, Youngstown

Hospice House treated mother, 97, like first lady

A little over a month ago, my 97-year-old mom suffered a stroke in her sleep. After a short visit to St. Elizabeth Hospital, we had the extraordinary fortune of being referred to Hospice House in Poland where my mom spent her final days.

This was our family’s first experience with Hospice House, and we are writing to convey how extraordinarily caring and comforting we found not only the facility itself, but the entire staff – from the medical directors, Drs. Medford Mashburn and Shannon McNally, to the nurses, to the aides and volunteers.

My mother was treated like she was the first lady, and my wife, brother and our children like we were the first family. And that seemed to be the case for everyone else sharing their final days at Hospice House. My mom passed away three days after she arrived with more peacefulness than I could ever have hoped or imagined. It was truly the ultimate death with dignity that everyone should be so blessed to experience.

The only surprise we encountered were the number of beds that were not filled in this magnificent facility. It seems that part of the reason for the inconsistent use may be that local hospitals and/or nursing homes are sometimes reluctant to refer their dying patients to Hospice House since Medicare funding will follow the patient resulting in a loss of their revenue.

My family can’t urge our community strongly enough to choose the option of Hospice House if it is available to a loved one. The choice is yours – not the hospital’s or the nursing home’s.

We recently made a donation to Hospice House in appreciation of their magnificent care and urge others in our area to do the same because you never know when the need of a loved one will present itself to you.

We have a lot of great things to be proud of in this Valley, but Hospice of the Valley and their crown jewel in Hospice House have to be right up there at the top.

Mark and Wanda Huberman, Boardman

Take part in ‘remarkable’ GM Lordstown birthday

On a spring day in 1966, the first vehicle rolled off the assembly line at the General Motors plant in Lordstown. The white Chevrolet Impala was the first of more than 15 million cars and vans that have been proudly assembled by the members of United Auto Workers Local 1112 in Lordstown on the former farm land located on Hallock-Young Road.

On May 20 and 21, we will be holding an open house and an All-American car show to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the local union and GM Lordstown.

The open house will be May 20 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the assembly plant. Those attending will take a walking tour to observe how the new Chevy Cruze is assembled. Children should be at least 10 years old and accompanied by an adult if under 18. All participants must wear closed-toed shoes and no heels. The tour will last approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

At the plant on May 21, an All-American car show will feature hundreds of classic American-made vehicles including dozens of Heritage vehicles that have been assembled at the plant over the last five decades. Gates open at 9 a.m. for show cars and 10 a.m. for the public. The show will run from noon to 4 p.m., rain or shine. From 4 to 5 p.m., a concert will be held by the popular area modern country band Northern Whiskey. Proceeds from the show will benefit three area veterans charities.

Lasting 50 years at anything is quite an accomplishment, but in the auto industry it’s remarkable. We are survivors and since 1966, Local 1112 and GM Lords- town have been a mainstay of the Mahoning and Shenango valleys and during all the ups and downs, both at the plant itself and the world in general, the workers have provided billions of dollars in wages, payroll taxes and charitable contributions to our friends and neighbors in need.

We hope the residents of the Valley join us in celebrating this golden anniversary.

Tim O’Hara, Austintown

O’Hara is vice president of United Auto Workers Local 1112 at the Lordstown GM Complex.

Support measure giving Ohioans flu-shot choice

Ohioans need to take political action to get House Bill 170 passed to protect employees from losing a job for refusing a flu shot. This law would also guarantee an employee’s right to informed medical consent, which means choice without coercion.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recognize that the flu vaccine can be injurious with death being a possible outcome. Vaccine manufacturers are shielded from product liability based on a 1986 federal law. Mandated flu shots are a strong-arm tactic from the federal government imposed on employers just to achieve a vaccine-coverage goal. This goal and its guidelines were influenced and incentivized by a national group called Healthy People 2020, major pharmaceutical companies and the medical industry including the Health and Human Services Department. There is no historical evidence-based science or documentation by employers to justify such action, no statistics that show benefit from requiring all employees to be vaccinated.

HB 170 will blunt the initiatives of special-interest groups to violate the right to informed medical consent and “rights of conscience” addressed in the Ohio Constitution. Giving or withholding consent is a civil right that we all have.

Also, HB 170 will set a pre-cedent to abate future violations of employees’ medical freedom. When incentivized goals and ratings take precedence over the basic rights and autonomy of individuals to keep a job, this nation is in serious trouble, and this will lead to a slippery slope for humanity.

Call, write or email your state legislators and demand that the HB 170 legislation be passed. The bill is currently in the House Commerce and Labor committee. From there it will need to go before the full House, and then over to the Senate. We must keep medical decisions in the hands of individuals.

Deborah Mottle, Youngstown