Mom of the Year says parenting takes practice
Rebecca Latham, mother of two and former Red River resident, is National Mother of the Year 2017
The tiny mountain tourist destination of Red River, population 450, is apparently a great place to be a mother. This year’s National Mother of the Year, Rebecca Latham, was a resident. So was the only other New Mexico woman to receive the award in its 82-year history.
Latham, 39, is now an Albuquerque resident and Cabinet secretary for the state Tourism Department.
A mother of two children, she said parenting is like law or medicine, it’s all about practice.
“You can never be a perfect parent. You have to commit to always wanting to learn more, to be more for your children,” she said.
National Mother of the Year is an honor bestowed annually since 1935 by the Washington, D.C.based nonprofit American Mothers, which recognizes a remarkable mother from among nominees from the 50 states, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Maxine Garnett Grindstaff was the last New Mexico mom to land that honor — 41 years ago.
Latham was Red River’s tourism and economic development director when Joshua, now 6, and Alana, 5, were born. Her husband, Scott Latham, was assistant ski school director.
Her energy and dedication to the needs of mothers in the community impressed Judy Miller, a Red River resident who was the 2014 New Mexico Mother of the Year.
It was Miller who nominated Latham for the award. Miller described Latham as someone “who lights up a room when she walks in. She’s so dynamic.”
Latham said she got a message about Miller’s nomination plan during the hectic Legislative session.
“I laughed and laughed and then said I was too busy to call her back,” Latham said.
When Latham didn’t respond, Red River resident Dianne Hughes, the 2016 New Mexico Mother of the Year, called with the same proposal. (If this seems like a lot of Red River women, they say it’s really somewhat coincidental.)
Latham said, “She did what moms do best. She guilted me into participating in the nomination process.”
Nominees must submit short essays to the American Mothers organization that outline their philosophies on parenting and motherhood.
Importance of compassion
Though a poised and confident career woman, Latham said that when she became a mother she realized she’d always been a “scaredy cat” who needed to let go of her anxiety so her children wouldn’t learn to live in fear.
So she wrote in her essay: “For the love of my son and daughter, I learned to put all of my trust in God in order to remain calm and keep them feeling safe and secure.”
As a girl in Tallahassee, Fla., Latham said the most important lesson she learned from her own mother, a school teacher, was the importance of compassion.
Latham said her own children are “the light of my life.”
Outside of her busy public service position, Latham is a sports mom. Her son plays flag football, her daughter has played soccer and T-ball and is about to start ballet.
Nominees also have to write about their involvement in activities in which, as a mother, they can benefit their community.
While living in Red River, Latham saw the need for an indoor playspace for local children during the snowy winter months. She secured space at the local conference center and municipal funding for play equipment. She also created a social media group to help young mothers share information on babysitting and other useful tips.
The play space and social media group are still thriving three years after Latham moved to Albuquerque in 2014.
In Albuquerque, she has volunteered with the faith-based Juntos initiative that works with kids in neighborhoods that are vulnerable to violence and instability. Her pastor, David Adkins of New Covenant Church, wrote a letter of recommendation to American Mothers on her behalf.
“She has a heart for helping others, which is evident in her passion for New Mexico and the children of our state,” Adkins wrote.
In her essay about activities, Latham said the one she was most passionate about was her career. She believes she can use her position as Tourism Secretary and the New Mexico True tourism marketing campaign to help show the young people of this state the many wonderful things it can offer.
“That is my absolute favorite thing; being able to use New Mexico True to be able to instill pride in New Mexico youth,” Latham said.
Latham learned that she had won the national award at the American Mothers Convention in Washington, D.C., at the end of April. She and nominees from other states traveled to the convention where they had to make a speech about their thoughts on motherhood. A committee made the final decision after hearing the speeches.
“My speech was about committing to each other as women and never giving up. Supporting each other as mothers,” Latham said.
As National Mother of the Year, her duties will involve traveling and speaking as an advocate for motherhood through educational programs and community outreach.
“She will be a national spokeswoman for the 85 million mothers in the U.S.,” said American Mothers executive director Andrea Ball.