‘It Takes a Mom’ interview series highlights our recent Mother of the Year® honorees by sharing their stories every week. These moms from across the country contribute to our collective voice as mothers. They show us how they harness their maternal energy and how it really does take a mom to do it all! Here’s our interview with Pam Grove, 2021 Idaho Mother of the Year®.
What does it mean to you to be selected as the Mother of the Year® in your state?
It was such an honor to know that I can represent Idaho, and that being a mom and helping other moms is an amazing thing. I can’t even tell you, it’s just overwhelming. It’s wonderful. Because of this honor, I’m kicking off a program this week to raise money to buy three HALO BassiNests for the St. Al’s hospital in Boise.
What do you love most about being a mom?
I think just being a part of my boy’s life and my granddaughter’s life and helping them to succeed and trying not to be that helicopter parent, but just letting them know that I’m there for them if they need me.
I’ve always said that if I could just volunteer, I’d rather do that than work, just so that I could help people survive and find success.
Pam Grove, 2021 Idaho Mother of the Year®
When your son has wanted to give up and throw in the towel, what would you say to him or to your granddaughter to help them to keep going and persevere?
I think reminding them that life is so worth living and to always look at the bright in everything and that yes, you’re gonna have those hard knocks, which he has. To become a parent, he had to give up hockey, which was a huge passion for him, but he’s done so well as a single parent. It’s neat to see these young people and how they’re succeeding and moving on. Even through the pandemic, my granddaughter would say “Can we do that?” and “Is it OK?” and their little minds are having to change so much from how it was when we were growing up. So yeah, just reminding them to look at the bright spots and push on.
The Golden Rule Movement provides a platform for women who embody the selfless, caring spirit of motherhood, and who are using that maternal energy to make the world a better place. How would you say you exemplify the Golden Rule in your everyday life?
I think just trying to be the best I can be so I can help other people be the best that they can be. It’s a hard world right now and I think we just need to work and make everybody happy and make life easy for everyone. I’ve always said that if I could just volunteer, I’d rather do that than work, just so that I could help people survive and find success.
Right now, I’m a realtor. I’ve been doing that for about 16 years. But over the years, I’ve always loved volunteering and getting involved in helping the community. About eight years ago, my son became a single dad. The mother of their child when to the Booth Marian Pritchett School, which is a school for pregnant and parenting teens [funded by the Salvation Army]. I decided to get involved there, and things just bloomed. It’s such a great thing for the community, and I saw how the parents there were more prepared to be a parent than I was. From there, I got really involved with the Salvation Army and joined their advisory board a few years ago.
What do you do for yourself to relax and unwind?
I love to read and watch a little too much TV. I think I realized that I need me time, whether it’s working in the yard cleaning or planting flowers. I love flowers. And being with my granddaughter two days a week, we always have a blast, and so I think just spending time with my family is something that I need for me, too.
