Reflections on Two Great Moms
We asked a couple of our client families to share their gratitude for their moms. We hope you enjoy these reflections as much as we do.
Mark and Brad Tollander thanking their mom Suzanne.
Our mom has been without our father, the love of her life over 65 years. In 2026, we made the decision to move her closer to family in the Twin Cities. The wonderful folks at Choice Connections helped pave the way for a marvelous transition into the Golden Valley area. While she certainly is missing the familiarity of her hometown in Northern Wisconsin, with the help of family, new neighbors, and friendly staff in her building, she now is comfortable calling this home.
As we approach Mothers Day 2026, Brad and Mark wanted to offer heartfelt thanks to their mom for all that she has done and continues to do. “Mom, thank you for…
– guiding us from boys to men. We couldn’t have asked for a better teacher.”
– teaching us how to be strong, compassionate, and responsible.”
– all the love and support that made us who we are today.”
– believing in us, you have been our biggest supporter.”
– the life lessons and endless encouragement.”
– putting up with us and loving us unconditionally.”
– being our hero and our guide.”
– your love. It has been our greatest blessing.”
Thank you from us both. We are so proud to call ourselves your sons.”
This will be their mom’s first Mother’s Day while residing in the Twin Cities. We are very grateful for the relationship we now have with Janelle Meyers at Choice Connections as she has made this transition so smooth. With her move, she will now be closer in proximity to her adult children and grandchildren who are also so positively influenced by this fabulous person.
Paul Esch and his sister Julie remember their mom Norma Ames.
How do you summarize a life of 90 years in 3 to 5 minutes? The beautiful life of a woman, wife, loving mother, grandmother, great grandmother (Gi Gi), sister, aunt, godmother and a friend who was fully human and alive? It’s impossible really but our son Nick suggested we ask others, ‘What is a trait of hers that you admire and want to embody to honor her memory?”
They said: joyful, resilient, courageous, and strong. A survivor, a loving mother and grandma, an empathetic friend, sweet and welcoming, a good listener and a person who brought joy and a song with her everywhere she went. Always gracious, authentic, sometimes impertinent, bold and at times lacking a filter but quick to apologize or correct herself if she was too blunt.
She was fun and funny. Her grandson Evan summed it up best in a note he wrote. “Grandma, I’ve tried playing cards with other people before but it isn’t as fun as playing with you.”
Her life was quite a ride! She shared that ride for 10 years with the love of her life, Bob Ames and their 2 stepdaughters. She was both the Velveteen Rabbit, as real as they get. And also, the Giving Tree, so generous and giving, all wrapped up in one very special human.
Norma left a beautiful legacy of love. This love shined at her last birthday party at the Lexington Restaurant on Feb 7th. Our Queen of Hearts chose life again, as she always did, and rallied for this party, refusing to miss it under any circumstance. Her true and beautiful colors came shining through and evident to all was that she cared for people.
I want to thank everyone who helped mom especially in her last months including the people from New Perspective and Brighton Hospice.
Our mom was a person of deep faith and prayer. She loved to read scripture, pray the Psalms and listen every morning to the God Minute podcast. She was an intercessory prayer warrior. We found a thick notebook next to her favorite chair with pages and pages of names of people she was constantly praying for. You were probably one of them. Norma also put her faith into action as a volunteer, at Woodwinds hospital, as a Eucharistic minister, a befriender at this parish and in many other ways.
Losing a mom is a big loss. Everyone processes grief differently but if you’re feeling the immensity of the moment, you’re not alone. My brother Dan, heading to the radiologist for a routine CT heart scan told his wife Elizabeth, “I’m pretty sure they’re going to find a broken heart.”
But Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.” As Christians, we believe in the resurrection of the body. We believe we will see our loved ones again. This was a comfort to her and is a comfort to us who will miss her so much.
Community wasn’t something Norma waited to find; it was something she created. Mom said, “To make a friend you have to be a friend” and she made friends so easily. She taught us that there’s nothing more important in life than the people in our lives. We are so grateful to have been blessed with such a wonderful person in our lives.
She also loved music. A favorite was Carol Burnett’s closing theme song on her TV show – “I’m so glad we had this time together, just to have a laugh or sing a song. Seems we just got started and before you know it, comes the time we have to say so long”