Some young thoughts on Mother’s Day ~ May 11, 1995

[Cynthia's note: obviously David asked Malika to tell him about Mother's Day and mothers. He didn't technically "write" this column, but you see, this is the kind of man he was, so I am including it.]

By Malika Heiller, age nine via her daddy, David Heiller

A hug for a mama. It wasn't even Mother's Day!

Mother’s Day is like a holiday. It makes me feel like it’s a nice sunny day and you’re going swimming with your mother, but you’re not going swimming unless you’re planning to. It’s like giving her a great big bear hug and saying, “Happy Mother’s Day, Mom.”

I love my mother because she’s kind and patient. Even if I’m really naughty, she gets mad sometimes but she never loses her patience. She loves me and I love her.

Those out there who don’t have parents or mothers, I feel sorry for you, because you’re missing out a lot on having a mother, because mothers are really good to you.

Some kids give presents to their mom, but I don’t think you have to. Sometimes I don’t give my mom a present. I think just loving them is a big, big present.

Grandma Heiller 
and the kids
(and Queen Ida).

My mother is like a teddy bear. I get things that I really love and she lets me do things that I really like.

Even if I get an early bedtime, I still love her. Some people get a late bed time and they don’t get enough rest, and their mother isn’t the best, like mine.

My mother helps me on my homework, and I get A’s and B’s on my report card, but just to let you know, she doesn’t do it for me.

She makes really good food. Not like that’s important or anything, but I think she’s a great cook. But she doesn’t think I think so.

I have two grandmas that are almost exactly like Mom. They don’t live exactly like her, but they feel like a mother. Their names are Fern Heiller and Lorely Olson.

My Grandma Heiller, is like a big fat teddy bear. Not that she’s fat or anything, but giving her a hug is like giving a teddy bear a hug. She makes me sweaters. She’s just a really great person to be around. I wish someday I could move to where she lives, Brownsville, Minnesota. It’s a really neat place, where my dad grew up.

Grandma Olson and Malika

She hardly ever swears. She probably only said one swear word in her life. That was probably when my dad was growing up, she stubbed her toe. My dad said that they said she swore, but that was the only time.

I had a great-grandma Schnick. She used to live with my Grandma Heiller, but she died. She was 93 years old.

My Grandma Olson is a really great person too. She used to smoke cigarettes but we talked her out of it, because she’s a really loving person. My grandpa died of smoking, and I wouldn’t want my grandma to die of smoking too.

She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I see her maybe once in two months. I always look forward to a trip there. My grandma has these really neat little houses. You can’t play with them but they have lights in them. Her house is neat too.

Malika Heiller, nine, is the daughter of Cynthia Heiller, to whom this column is dedicated, and of David Heiller, Cindy’s husband.