ABRAM-VILLAGE, P.E.I. — Her mother’s love will always be irreplaceable, but it’s become a tradition for Michelle Gough to spend time with her in-laws on Mother’s Day.
“My mother passed away when I was 12 from leukemia. She was the centre of our big family, with seven kids in total. She ran the household, so her loss made a huge impact,” said Gough, who was at the Acadian Musical Village in Abrams Village for Mother’s Day brunch.
Mothers are commonly coined as the glue that holds the family together, although sometimes this glue is underappreciated.
“You certainly appreciate a mother more when you no longer have one,” acknowledged Gough.
But when Gough married, she began to embrace Mother’s Day again – this time as a mother, as well as with her mother-in-law.
“A mother is the heartbeat of the family,” she said.
Mary McGuire, Gough's mother-in-law, admitted they have a strong family connection.
“Altogether our family unit is 13 people, and we all like celebrating the importance of mothers,” said McGuire, who has a son and daughter.
Mary’s daughter, Moira McGuire, said this Mother’s Day was a little different compared to the others.
“We normally gather at Mary’s house after church in the morning, but the big treat this year is that mom doesn’t have to cook breakfast for us all. No one has to clean up, so this brunch is really ideal.”
Families flocked to the special brunch on Sunday to celebrate and honour all mother figures.
“We treasure having this time as a family and we don’t take each other for granted,” said Mary.
“She’s a great mother-in-law, and I will tell anyone that,” said Gough with a smile.
