Changing things up a bit on this humid and overcast day in Orlando. As we’re all well aware, yesterday was Mother’s Day, and in this week’s edition of the blog, we decided to take our own individual trips down memory lane as a tribute to the PR/PR moms!

Russell Trahan:

I love this photo of my mother at the beach.  That’s Haystack Rock, on the Oregon Coast, behind her.  You may recognize the landmark from the movie “Goonies.”  Mother loves the coast; her grandparents had a house there when she was young and she has great memories of it.  Since she was a librarian in the public school system, mother always had spring break off with us kids.  Dad would take the week off, too, and we’d all head down to the beach.  The weather on the Oregon coast isn’t always pleasant in March, but that didn’t stop us from having fun.  We’d play games by the fire while the storm raged outside.  Mother and I would always share a pinochle hand against my dad and sister.  As a team we always won, but I suspect that was more due to her skills than my help.  Seeing my mother smile at the beach, I know she’s remembering her good memories while I’m remembering mine.

Amanda Tucker:

I lived on campus all four years of college at USF. At the end of every semester, my mom would come down to Tampa to help me move my things out of my dorm room. It wasn’t always the most exciting way to spend the day…it was usually uncomfortably hot outside and I had more than you could imagine packed into my small room. Somehow we always managed to have the most fun! Those days were always full of gossip, laughter and quality time for us. On several occasions, we would have our hands full of clothes, books and boxes, get into the elevator and get the giggles, dropping what we had in our hands and laughing until we cried. My mother has a way of making every situation silly and fun. I can always count on her for that.

Lindsay Durfee:

My mom and I tend to do stupid things together.  Really dumb.  As in, at some point, we are looking at each other with that “How did we get ourselves into this mess?!?” look.  It always results in good times and hilarious memories.  Which is funny, because I think one of my favorite times with my Mom was my senior year of college.  It was fall break; there was nothing going on at home, so no one really wanted to pay for me to fly there.  Instead, my mom drove the 10 hours up to Elon to see me.  I had an off-campus apartment, so Mom had a free place to stay, and we just hung out.  We watched movies, got take out, chatted about what I wanted to do after college and just interacted as friends.  I really think it set the tone for the future of our relationship.  We have had so many more fun times since (vacation, moving to Florida, my wedding) but this memory really sticks out as one of the best times I ever had with my mom.

Carter Breazeale:

My mom and I have always been the most light-hearted and casual of the family, and because of this we share a special, enduring bond. Blessed with unrivaled patience and penchant for understanding, I always knew my mom would listen and give sound advice. My fondest memories with mom continue to this day, and they just involve sitting in the backyard with the family dog, Riley, and enjoying each other’s company. Sometimes we discuss important life-events, other times we just relax in silence and take in the moment. I’ve learned in life that the little things matter as much, and at times even more, than the large, and I cherish all of these day to day moments with my mom that have contributed to a lifetime of great memories.