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Mother's Day is right around the corner, which reminds me once again of how I lucked out as far as mothers go. Mine was really something special.

I write this column about looking on the bright side of things because I inherited that tendency from my mother. She was the most consistently optimistic, upbeat person I've ever known, and I'm glad to try to be like her in that respect especially.

Life wasn't always easy for my mother but I don't remember her ever dwelling on the negative. She found the positive in everything. She always found reasons to laugh, she always found reasons to hope, she always enjoyed the good moments whenever she could. She weathered every storm and every time, no matter how bad it was, she found the rainbows.

Throughout my life I learned a lot from mom about looking on the bright side and finding the positive. I'm 70 years old now - and she's been gone for 16 years - and I'm still learning from her.

Our roles changed somewhat through the final years, following the natural order of things, as many of my peers can attest. Mom was just mom for a long time, then she was my mom and my friend for a longer time. Sometime in there I came to appreciate her as both more and more.

Then I came to Tehachapi to help her through the death of my father and her own major health problems, putting each of us in yet another role - again, normal ones as things go, but definitely new to us. She was still my friend and my mom, someone I admired and respected, but she also became someone who depended on me, someone with whom I began making more joint decisions, and ultimately someone whom I took care of completely.

Now, even though she has been gone for many years, I still think of her often and fondly, and I still miss her so. I remember how she would handle things, what she would think of things, and I still want to be like her. I still want her to be proud of me.

I hear her laugh sometimes when something happens that I know would have amused her; I still hear her talk about how much fun she had doing this or that. I still hear her wise advice when I needed it and her comforting words when I needed those.

I know I am lucky to have had the mother I had, and I am still lucky to have the wonderful, loving memories I have. You can't ever underestimate the importance of a mother in your life – she is always with you, no matter what, and I know not everyone has the good fortune to have (or to be) a mother like I had.

I wrote a song for mom some years ago titled, "Catherine's Rainbow Song." Whenever I sing it or hum it or think about it - or whenever I see a rainbow - I am reminded again of how blessed I was with the mother I had.

I share it with you now, again, as a tribute to my mom and a hope that everyone will think about how special a person who is a mother can be.

Love makes rainbows

that color the skies;

Love makes rainbows that brighten

the light in the children's eyes;

Rainbows are promises

kept between friends;

Love is found at the rainbow's end.

Love makes rainbows

that everyone sees;

Love makes rainbows that hold us

and show us the dawning of peace;

Rainbows are memories

of times that are gone;

Love is a rainbow of joys yet to come.

Happy Mother's Day.

© Marilda Mel White. Mel is a local writer/photographer and co-owner of the Treasure Trove, and has been looking on the bright side (like her mama always said to) for various publications since 1996. She welcomes your comments at morningland@msn.com.