GIRLS WHO GET IT- DIANE DUTCHUK (Mother's Day Special)

11:19 PM Posted by MS.NOVA

I get it from my mamma!

My sister and I have been SO super fortunate to have been nurtured by the realest lady out of Windsor, Ontario. With zero judgement, Diane's honest, humorous compassion was also extended to my girlfriends and I know that spirit has pushed me towards this path of paying it forward.

Perfect example. I'm 17 and my BFF shows up to school covered in bruises from her live-in-boyfriend. That night while he was at work, mom and I drove 40 minutes, loaded the car with her belongings and got her the hell out of there. 2 weeks later after living with us, mom gave her the "straight goods" and soon she was in her own place starting a new job. Go Mommy!

Diane was a single mom who went back to university at 30 while working full time and starting her own business. She never put a man before her girls, and still managed to have a busy social life to blow off steam from life's pressure. Mom made little things special, teaching me the difference between quality and quantity.

She'd wake us up to sit on the porch and listen to a midnight thunderstorm. Thanks to her, I learned about the beauty in nature and joy of giving life in a garden. How to laugh at myself and "do unto others". Lastly, she always stressed the importance of respecting the elderly. "Always say hello, you may be the only person they talk to all day."

Her work with special needs adults, kept life interesting. While teaching a class, one of her students vomited all over his hands. He walked up to her, palms dripping, hanging the spew in front of her face, begging for a reaction. The lesson? "Ignore the behavior. Keep your power."

A hard worker and the rock to all who know her, Diane lives a full life on her terms and has always encouraged the women around her to do the same. Thanks Zee for being a beautiful role model, mother and friend. I LOVE YOU!

Diane is a Girl Who Gets It.