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Mother. The word itself can evoke a flood of memories and emotions. Mom, mommy, momma, mother, mama, mother! A blessing or a curse. How nice it would be to know that everyone has warm fuzzy memories of their mothers.

Unfortunately there are those who abandoned their children and husband at an early age by choice or by death. There are mean mothers, unintentional mothers — and those that should not have been and some who should — but aren’t, by choice or other interruptions.

The word mother — not to be confused with smother — can be a verb as well as a noun. They are nurturing.

Sometimes others raise children — granny or auntie, a teacher or family friend — someone who steps in to give the warm mothering every child needs to grow to be the best they can be.

Today we celebrate all the mothers and surrogate mothers, grandmothers and step-mothers who deserve the recognition for the sacrifices they made and are making in the family line.

First Mother’s Day

Luke Bonin was born Jan. 7, 2017. His mother, Kayla Champagne Bonin, and father Ryan Bonin, will celebrate their first Mother’s Day and Father’s Day this year. Luke is already starting out with a firm foundation and a promise to be loved and cherished all the days of his life. The commitment started long ago.

Twelve people stand everyday with his mother and father to insure Luke is nurtured and loved. Eight living great grandparents and four living grandparents, all still married to their first loves. This is rare in today’s disposable society where relationships come and go as quickly as fast food.

Luke’s great grandmother is a genealogist. Joy Broussard Sonnier said she is of Acadian decent, French and Spanish — a true Teche Area gumbo of heritage. She was the one that noticed the unique family dynamics supporting the wedding of Luke’s parents. All four grandmothers, Kayla’s mother and future mother-in-law were at the bridal salon the day the bride’s dress was chosen. Sonnier looked around and realized they were sharing a rare moment.

“Love and respect was carried down through the generations,” said Kayla Champagne Bonin. “We were able to watch our parents and grandparents love one another and respect one another, side by side in good times and bad.”

Bonin said neither she or her husband witnessed disagreements between their parents or grandparents. They may have been there, but it was never a display in front of the children. They were always in agreement when it came to discipline, Bonin said.

“They may have picked at each other, especially Ryan’s dad to his mother,” Bonin said. “But lovingly teasing one another is different than arguing. Life’s too short for that kind of behavior.”

Finding the Perfect Match

Bonin said she didn’t meet her husband when they were both at Louisiana State University. Timing couldn’t have been more perfect then they met through mutual friends after each followed a career education path that ended with them back in Acadiana. Ryan Bonin knew what he was looking for in a wife because of the women in his family. He found that perfect match in Kayla.

As a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse, Bonin is scheduled to work part of her first Mother’s Day but said caring for other people’s children has made her a better mother. And vice versa. As a mother, she has a new compassion for the parents of premature babies or sick babies needing life giving medical treatment. Nurturing caregivers can testify to the response of loving touch by parents and medical staff.

Keeping Family Together

Five generations live in the Teche Area and interact regularly at the New Iberia home of June Savoy Inzerella. She will celebrate her 90th birthday next month. When asked if she remembers giving birth, Inzerella said, “Lord, yes.”

Most mothers do and say they forgot all about the pain when they held the baby in their arms the first time. Inzerella said giving birth to her first child, Kathy, the doctor was wearing his hat and coat and gave her ether. Before she was knocked out, she remembers the ashes falling on her from his cigar. He died later that night at a boxing match. Not a pleasant memory to encourage the continuation of having babies but a total of six stair-step children were born to she and her husband.

They lived in a tiny house with limited means but were never hungry and never turned a stranger away. Friends were always welcomed and there was always more food to share. The garden in their backyard provided the sustenance they needed and all the children helped with crops and housework. Inzerella always worked — plus being a mother..

Her husband, Santa “Sonny” Inzerella, became disabled during their lifetime. He did a lot of the family cooking, but most things they did together. Her most vivid memory of cooking is of the cases and cases of blackberry jelly they preserved, plus pickles and corn maque choux — more often a family production with her sisters and all their children.

“I didn’t appreciate my family until I moved away from home,” Karen Inzerella, the middle daughter of three said. “I started meeting other people away from home. I’d never been away from home. When I saw how they were with their families, I realized they didn’t have what we had with ours. That’s what I missed. Growing up I didn’t like to clean corn, peel shrimp and all with the family, but when I left, I realized I did like it and I missed it — and the family.”

Being away Karen Inzerella realized her mother and father had always been there for her. They traveled wherever she was to make sure her home was in a safe place. She had to move away from home to really appreciate her parents. As a child and youth, she thought they were just trying to make her work.

“On Saturday mornings, we could have some TV time with cartoons, two hours at the most,” Kathy Inzerella Derouen said. “After that we were working in the yard or in the house cleaning.”

“I raised my children in a house with 600-something square feet,” June Inzerella said. “Six children, two sets of bunk beds in a little dinette alcove. And they always had company.”

Derouen said her mom was the tough one, dad had all the fun. With time and age, her mother has mellowed.

“My mom’s not a talker. It was not until I moved in here and my honey put a spin on things he would draw out of her,” Derouen said. “He said, ‘I see she had six kids, a house she couldn’t move in, a horrible job at the welfare department visiting clients in their homes. She did the best she could.’ I didn’t see any of that. Now I’ll hear these stories and I understand. Her toughness was how she showed us love.”

June Inzerella said now she doesn’t do anything. Her children do it all.

“My grandson and his son, Wakes, love to come to MawMaw’s house even when I’m not here,” Derouen said. “It was a tough life. My dad was sick even when he was working until they disabled him. We were poor, but we didn’t know we were poor. We were always loved.”Read more at:http://www.marieprom.co.uk/cocktail-dresses-uk