– Helen Keller

Life’s highest calling is motherhood. It is an endeavor like no other, it demands selflessness that must be renewed every day. Our tongue holds many words, but none as meaningful and beautiful as the precious name of “mother.” A mother’s love, faith and hope stand out through the ages.

There is a wonderful thing called mother-love. A mother who will hear when we call. Don’t we all need a mother who will sweep us into her arms and keep us safe? Who will take our hand when we are weak? Who will guide us through life?

So remember Mother with devotion while she lives and with loving memory when she is gone. Make the most of it while you have the most special gift, a loving mother. The moments of caretaking that fill a mother’s day show how much we were cared for. They add up to a lifetime of knowing we will always be wrapped in our mother’s love.

Flooded by emotion, overcome by pride, mother turns to us, one by one, and says, “You are my child, I love you dearly. I know someday you must leave. But there is always a road leading back to my waiting heart.”

But always remember mother. And Mother’s Day is Sunday.

Let’s move along to other events in May.

Through the Saco Parks and Recreation Seniority Program, there will be the Strawbery Banke Historic Gardens Tour on May 25 from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Tour the historic museum and enjoy the gardens along the harbor in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Lunch will be at the Figtree Café, and attendees will spend some time shopping at Pickwick’s. The trip departs from the Saco Community Center, and is $30 for members and $33 for non-members. Registration deadline is May 20. Minimum required: 10.

For those who enjoy the Portland Sea Dogs baseball games at Hadlock Field, there will be a bus trip on June 2 leaving from Saco Community Center at 10 a.m. and returning at 3 p.m. Trip fee is $12 for members and $15 for non-members. Minimum required: 10.

May also starts the season when the tourists and visitors come to our area. The Biddeford + Saco Chamber of Commerce + Industry have much to offer. The Welcome Center will be open weekends starting June 18, 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays and Sundays until early September. Please stop by and see all it has to offer.

The new edition of the “Chamber Community Directory and Visitor Guide” will be available soon. Thanks to Fred O’Neil for doing a great job with the layout and design, and special thanks to the Journal Tribune for keeping the printing local. Craig says they will be distributing the new books as soon as they are delivered.

— Zaffie Hadiaris of Saco is the host of “Zaffie,” a weekly television talk show on Channel 3 Biddeford public access. It can also be seen at biddefordmaine.org. Contact Hadiaris at zhadiaris@hotmail.com.