From the May 9, 1986 edition of the Gazette, by Hilary Stout.

She is Mom.

She is Mama.

Mommy.

Carol.

Joan.

No, Mom.

Sunday is her day.

It’s Mother’s Day.

Three and four and five year olds at the Island Children’s School in West Tisbury and the Mullen Way Nursery School in Edgartown know a little bit about Mother’s Day.

They know all about Mother.

Let’s see...

“She likes books. She likes couches — but I’m not going to give her one because I don’t have that much money,” says Nicholas Cammann, four of West Tisbury.

She has chickens that lay eggs.

She used to own a restaurant.

She likes the color blue.

She plants the garden.

She’s having a baby.

She’s special.

“I love her,” says Virginia Clark, four of Vineyard Haven.

Everyone loves Mother.

How come everyone loves her so much?

Katie Barnett, four, of West Tisbury: “ ‘Cause she let me have chocolate chip cookies after dinner. After Colleen goes to sleep.”

Gregory Carter, five, of Edgartown: “I love her if she lets me invite a friend over every single day.”

Micah Deary, five, of West Tisbury: “She got me new shoes when I needed them.”

Judson MacRae, five, of Chappaquiddick: “She feeds me, and she helps me spell things.”

Paul Hammond, three, of Vineyard Haven: “She’s my friend.”

Sometimes she does nice things.

She bought Nelson Tuck, age five, of West Tisbury, a tool box for Christmas. It has a saw and a chisel.

Reid Turner gets to go with her to the garden sometimes. She lets him help plant.

She feeds the puppy and the kitty.

She takes Ursula Willett, four, of Edgartown, to the Flying Horses in the summer. Sometimes she takes her off-Island.

“When my friends come over, she gives us lunch,” says Taggart Young, age five of West Tisbury.

Sometimes she cleans up after Gabrielle Knight, age four, of Chappaquiddick. And she makes oatmeal.

She brought Jeffrey Westover, age five, of Edgartown a Mickey Mouse from Florida.

“She lets me hold my baby sister,” says Sage Marcella, age five, of Edgartown.

Mother is incredible.

“She wakes up even when she doesn’t get enough sleep,” says Kathy Vincent, five, of Edgartown.

“She had a baby a few weeks ago,” says Virginia Clark.

But sometimes Mother gets angry.

“When she makes me spaghetti and meatballs and I get it all over my face,” remembers Jeffery Westover.

Mom is different from Dad.

“Because she is a girl,” says Virginia Clark.

Mom is different. “But her perfume has the same top as other mother’s,” notes Kathy Vincent.

On Sunday Mother will get presents.

Like...

An apple tree. (Daddy’s idea.) And a forsythia.

A bracelet.

A surprise. “It’s at home, growing in the ground.”

A rainbow. “I’m going to make it at school.”

A valentine.

Something Dad picks out.

A special card.

With a heart.

With I love you.

So why is Mother so great? Why does she do all these wonderful things? Why do we give her all these presents?

Why, why is she so special?

Micah Deary: “She just is.”

Taggart Young: “ ‘Cause she’s my mom.”

Compiled by Gazette librarian Hilary Wall.