For many people, Mother’s Day is not easy, especially when facing fertility issues. Betty Bertrand and her husband were married 11 ½ years before their first child was born. “I just really had to give it to God and keep in mind that He had his own plans for me, and I needed to be patient,” Betty says. “I started receiving fertility treatments, and I was finally able to get pregnant and carry to full term. Then, on December 7, 1991, Mary Rachael Bertrand was born. It was scary, exciting, exhausting, but mostly wonderful. I am an RN and had worked in the hospital nurseries for years, but taking one home of my own was a totally different experience.”
Due to their struggles with fertility, Betty was older by the time she became a mom for the first time, but she did not let that stop her from enjoying every minute. “Motherhood has given me more patience than I thought I could have, and it has made my understanding of others better,” Betty says, “After Rachael, we were blessed with three additional great kids who have grown to be great adults: Jessie (Bertrand) Bias 30, soon to be 31; Alyssa (Bertrand) Jensen 29; and Jared Bertrand 23.”
When Betty and her husband decided what type of parents they wanted to be, they looked back at their upbringing and the important things they wanted to pass along to their children. This was one way they could stay connected to their families who lived far away. “My husband and I moved to Texas in December of 1985 from California and stayed. We had no family here, so we had to be our own support system,” Betty says. “There is nothing like raising children when you don’t have someone to step in and help. It strengthened our marriage, and we worked together to help our family succeed.”
Unfortunately, Betty’s mother passed away when Rachael was only 9 months old. “My mother got to see her twice, but none of my other children met her. But I still remember some of the things she would say, and I have found myself saying them,” Betty says. “My mom had a big heart and took in all the ‘strays’ we brought in, and I have done the same. I have been ‘mom’ to more than I can name right here, but that is what being a mom is all about: when your children’s friends feel that your house is a safe place.”
Before they had children, Betty and her husband agreed that they would raise their children in church if they were lucky enough to have a family. “We wanted to teach them to depend on God. We taught them to pray and that if your life is right with God, everything else will fall in place,” Betty says. “We also taught our children right from wrong, how to behave properly in public, and the importance of treating others how you want to be treated. You raise them right and it does return to you greater.”
Betty says she raised her four children with the same core values, but each has their own personality. Their firstborn, Rachael, displays the typical oldest-child characteristics. “She has always acted like it was her job to keep the others in line. She always made sure her siblings, or anybody else, did what they were supposed to do,” Betty says. “She was the child that would find something out of place in Walmart and search till she found where it went. Her current job as Director of Red Lick Christian Preschool suits her perfectly.”
Their second daughter, Jessie, already stands out because she is the only child with blue eyes, a trait that she inherited from both of her grandmothers. “She has also always been a major tomboy. She would avoid the typical ‘girly’ colors and wouldn’t wear pink if her life depended on it! She was my blue jeans and boot girl!” Betty says. She is now teaching PE at Malta ISD and helping in the classrooms. It really suits her well.”
Alyssa is the third child, the third girl, and the last girl. She was known as the “girly girl” and enjoyed dressing up. “She’s also an early riser. She would wake up at the crack of dawn, expecting to start her day, whether or not anyone else wanted to,” Betty says. “She always had an eye for photography and creative things. From a very early age she would take the best pictures. It also suits her to work for ALT Magazine where she is a graphic designer and editor, arranging the ads and layout of the magazine.”
Their final child is Jared, a boy who gets teased as “an accident” due to the six-year age difference between him and Alyssa. By the time Betty found out she was pregnant, she had gotten rid of all her baby stuff. “But, I know God has different plans for him because, from the very beginning, I knew I was having a boy. He made me so sick when I was pregnant with him,” Betty says. “Jared is definitely my son. He has my sarcastic attitude and, as I have been told, my ‘look.’ I have been told all my life that my eyes say it all, and his are the same. He graduated from A&M Texarkana with his Electrical Engineering degree and works at Expal in Hooks. As he says, ‘I’m good at math.”
For Betty, the best part of motherhood was seeing her children grow up to be responsible adults with strong family values and a love for God. Over the years, Betty’s family has only continued to grow. She has acquired three great sons-in-law, Jason, Scott, and Carl, and two grandchildren, Michael and Alexandra.
When Betty looks back on her years of motherhood, the memory she will never forget occurred when her husband passed away. “They all surrounded me with love and pulled together to ensure I was okay. The love they showed for me and each other was very special,” Betty says. “To experience the love and respect of your children is the most important thing. I can’t imagine my life any other way.”
Fun Facts
- My dream Mother’s Day would include having a fun family day and a lovely meal I didn’t have to cook.
- The best advice I’ve ever received as a mom is “Pick your battles. Is it worth fighting over?”
- One thing I want to do with my kids is take a cruise.
- The one thing I wish I had known about parenting is how my children could be as stubborn as me.
- The best gift my kids could ever give me would be to keep their faith.