The moment you know you’re doing something right
It’s often hard to know exactly how you’re faring as a mother.
You might focus on all the missteps: that time you forgot to pack lunch for school or were running late to pick your child up from dance class.
But then once and a while something special happens to prove to you that you’re doing all right — more than all right in fact.
That moment came for single mother Kim Dismont Robinson, when her eight-year-old daughter Jasmine Douglas wrote about their special bond in a beautiful essay.
The piece won first place in the Continental Society of Bermuda’s Mother of the Year competition, and Dr Dismont Robinson will be honoured this morning at a special assembly at Jasmine’s school, West Pembroke Primary.
The proud mom said it was “hugely gratifying” to hear that her daughter thought her worthy of this kind of award.
“I think as parents, any parent that has any level of introspection, probably spends a lot of time second guessing themselves. I know I do.
“I always say to Jasmine that I was never blessed with the level of patience that my own mother had in spades. I think there’s that tendency to compare yourself to the generation that comes before and I had a spectacular mother who died of leukaemia when Jasmine was three years old.
“So it’s very encouraging to know that despite my imperfections and other flaws that I have that she loves me regardless and appreciates the efforts that I make on her behalf.”
Jasmine said she entered the competition as a way to give back to her mom for all the things she does.
“I wrote about the fact that she’s caring and kind,” she told The Royal Gazette. “She feeds me and takes care of me and she tries to do the best she can to make me a good person.
“She also encourages me and speaks firmly to me so I can really push forward and says I can do it.”
She remembered one time that she was scared to go to the doctor’s office, but her mother held her and reminded her she would be okay.
Both Jasmine and her mom say they have lots of things in common. They both share a love for good food and enjoy grocery shopping together. They also love reading, exploring new things together and share a similar sense of humour.
Being a single parent for a number of years, Dr Dismont Robinson said her friends joke that Jasmine is like “the accessory [she’s] never without”.
“When you are a child’s primary caregiver you take them wherever you go for the most part,” Dr Dismont Robinson said.
“And especially in my situation where both of my parents have died, so for better or worse Jasmine and I have been inseparable since the very beginning.
“She comes with me to a lot of my job events. I work for the Department of Cultural Affairs and she has got her fair share of Bermuda cultural information as a result of that.”
Dr Dismont Robinson said she was “extremely proud” of the person Jasmine was growing into and described her as ‘mature beyond her years’ and someone known to stick up for younger children at her school.
“If I had been able to pick some of my favourite characteristics of a human being she has them, and that’s very gratifying,” Dr Dismont Robinson said.
“The only place that we differ is I am an introvert and she’s an extrovert. She is very high energy, whereas I am more likely to sit home and read a book all day.”
The Continental Society of Bermuda has been running its Mother of the Year competition for the past 45 years.
In addition to honouring a special mother at a school assembly, they also present her with an assortment of prizes donated by the society’s members.
The winning child’s school also receives a donation that goes toward its library; while the winner’s class will get a pizza party on their lunch break.
Member Denise Simons said ten schools submitted entries into this year’s competition and judges had to sift through over 175 essays to determine a winner.
Although Mother’s Day isn’t officially until Sunday, Jasmine said if she could tell her mother anything it would be: “I’m glad you are my mother!
“You are deserving of the Mother of the Year,” she said. “Everything you do for me it’s always encouraging. You let me talk about things and give my suggestions.”
My mother’s the best! The reason why she should be Mother of the Year is because she feeds me.
When we go to the grocery store together we buy food. Yummy! I help her by getting things she tells me to get like steak, bread, bananas, sometimes pineapple, cheese and eggs.
Sometimes I help by steering the grocery cart. Sometimes I get a candy or popcorn as a treat. Once my mom gave me both. After we finish shopping we drive home.
The second reason why my mother should be Mother of the Year is she takes me on trips.
[Recently] my mom took me to the Azores. It was fun! We went to a place called the Garden Hotel. We went and saw some Hot Springs! Hmmmmm. Should we talk about that? I think we should. We went into the hot springs and it was definitely not cold, not too hot, but warm. My mother went first and I came in. It was way too deep so she had to carry me. I wonder how much effort that took?
Oh! Time’s [almost] up. Let’s move on to the next thing! I almost forgot! I should have told you in the beginning what my mother looks like.
She’s the colour of peanut butter, had brown eyes and brown hair. My mother is a hard person to scare. My personality is like hers but we don’t look alike.
Last reason why my mother should be Mother of the Year, she’s really caring.
She cares for me. I’m her most favourite thing in the whole world. We love each other. When I was a little baby, my hand could stretch very wide. Then one day, my mother wrote a poem about my hand being like a little starfish.
Now I’m writing a story about her like she wrote a poem about me.
Also when I hurt myself or when I’m scared, my mom helps me. That’s why I think she should be Mother of the Year!
