Happy Mother’s Day To Anna Federico Castle

In celebration of Mother's Day on Sunday May 13, we asked Patch readers to write a letter to their mother and let us deliver it. This is Jason Castle's letter to his mom:

I'd like to take this opportunity to tell you about Anna (Federico) Castle, my mom and probably my biggest fan. To even begin to list all the things she has done for me would take me years, so I will have to give you a few examples of who she is and what wonderful things she has done for me.

To start, my mother is one of the strongest women I know. She is one of the most loving and compassionate people I know, too. Growing up, she was the only girl with three brothers. She had a tough dad who had old world views about kids and women back in the day, but she grew up to be her own woman, tough as nails on the outside and a softy on the inside.

I can remember from an early age my mother rocking me to sleep on her shoulder while she sang a song, which many years later I learned was a song called “The Melody of Love.” It always calmed me and put me to sleep.

She always made sure I had the best of everything growing up, because she never did. I had battery powered Bigfoot cars to drive around, a TV in my bedroom and so many other things when I was a child. Yes, you could say I was spoiled. However, she taught me that while I might have these things, there were others who did not and that this was a privilege not a right. Thus growing up, these things were nice but never expected, as she would say, “This could all be gone tomorrow.”

As I got older my dad had to work nights, so I was with Mom at home. Looking back, it was amazing how she pulled off working full-time as a cook at Primo’s in Woburn before coming home to pick me up at my grandmother’s. Then it was home to feed me, clean up, do laundry and pick up the house, before finally getting to sit down to relax.

When I was old enough, she would get me to my Little League games and still manage to keep the house together and work full time. She was my biggest fan, yelling my name and clapping for me. Then I moved on to band and was a member of the high school band in the eighth grade. She didn’t bat an eye. She joined the band parent association and was always involved in my education. She was a member until I graduated high school.

Like I said, my mom taught me that certain things weren’t to be expected and that they were a privilege. So when I was at the age of 14, my mother said, “Well, if you want Nintendo and games, you have to earn it, or at least half of it.” She told me to go out and get a job, so I went to Star Market on Broadway and got a job bagging groceries after school and on weekends. If I made anything over $10 for the week, 10 percent of it was given to my mom for room and board. (Little did I know she was just putting it away saving it for me, but it did teach me about life!)

My mom taught me a lot about life, and the importance of respecting and understanding others. Lots of things she was teaching me were long before they were cool to be taught. I learned at a very young age not to judge someone by the color of their skin or sexual orientation. I was taught about these differences and that it was OK to be different.

My mother also taught me about those less fortunate. She’d say, “If someone needs $5 give them $10. If they need it and you got it, give it to them, no questions asked.” She taught me respect for elders, respect for others and respect for myself. My mother taught me to stick up for those who couldn’t stick up for themselves; God knows she did this when she was growing up for her family and friends. My mom was one tough cookie — she still is! Although, while she has a hard exterior, she’s a big teddy bear inside with a huge heart of gold. She would give you the shirt off her back if she could.

My mom taught me about what you do for family. You do everything for family, whether you get along with them or not. You give the elders their respect, even if you don’t get along with them. When my grandmother had cancer, we moved in with her and took care of her. When my grandmother was dying, my mother spent two weeks by her bedside, sleeping in a chair because she promised my grandmother she would never be alone in the hospital. When my uncle, her oldest brother, had cancer, we moved into my grandmother’s house again to help take care of him so he was never alone.

When I was 3 years old and my dad’s mother died and when I was 9 years old and my grandfather died, my mom took me to the funeral home to learn how to be strong and take care of my uncle and grandmother. I was taught that death is a part of life, and learned how to learn to move on after.

Every time I got a promotion at work, you could see her pride. For every accomplishment, she was there smiling and so proud of me. When I was hurt from a breakup or a disappointment, her heart broke, too. But she was there to hug me and love me to put my heart back together. In 2012 I got my dream job as a 911 dispatcher for the city of Cambridge, and my mom beamed with pride! She threw me a party to celebrate. Then was I was hired as a fire alarm operator in Somerville in the department my uncle and great-grandfather worked for as firefighters, and she was even more proud. She listens to the scanner to hear me on the radio, and brags about me to anyone who will listen to her.

You can say she’s a great woman, but I say she amazing! My mom has taught me so many things and has truly shaped me into the man I am today! I’m so lucky to be able to call her my mother, and while I have just tried, words cannot describe the things she has done for me and taught me and the unconditional love that she has shown me.

So, Mom, this is for you! Even if I’ve shown people a quarter of how amazing you are, I’ve accomplished the impossible because no words can describe how amazing you are. I love you! Happy Mother’s Day!

—Jason Castle

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See all Mother's Day Letters here.

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For next month's Love In A Small Town feature, we want to help you give Dad the best Father's Day gift ever. Write him a heartfelt letter to tell him how much he means to you, email it to locallove@patch.com and we'll feature it in your town's newsfeed on Father's Day. Get more details here.

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Image Credit: Shutterstock/ TierneyMJ