Full of Love: Gail Thompson worked so hard to provide her family the best lives possible, and they are thankful for that

Gail Thompson is known by many locals for Gail’s Family Daycare, a business she ran for 45 years, seeing multiple generations grow up before her very eyes. But more importantly, Gail Thompson is known by her family as the matriarch who always looks after them. She is a mother, grandmother and a great-grandmother, and she raised her kids the right way.

“She had a good sense of humor,” Gail’s children said. “She is family first.”

That family first mentality carried Gail all throughout motherhood. All the while she was operating a daycare, she was teaching sewing at night school while raising her three children. She handled it all with elegance and superbness, and she did not sit there and complain when times got tough.

In fact, as Chris, Beth and Paul grew older, they began to realize all the sacrifices their mother made for them. She did all she could to make ends meet while also making sure her kids didn’t realize how much of a struggle it was. That is something they reflect on and hold near to their hearts, and they could not appreciate their mother enough for everything she did.

“She dedicated her life to get us to adulthood,” the kids said.

Gail did not have time to think about herself, nor did she ever want to. She is someone who is naturally so selfless, and when her kids were born, they became her everything. All she wanted to do was afford them the best opportunities possible, even if they meant working a little extra to make that happen.

There were many lessons to be learned from all Gail went through as well, and she used any hardships to help her kids jumpstart their lives, rather than starting where she did.

“She taught us to learn from the past,” the kids said.

Gail is also a joyful individual, which was especially evident when she was running her daycare. Gail loved being around all those kids and helping teach them. She had kids from all walks of life, but she treated them all as equals and gave them the same opportunities she knew they all deserved.

Nowadays, Gail is focused more than ever on her grandbabies (and great-grandbaby), her hobbies and her faith. She tries to live a righteous life each and every day, and you do not need to spend much time with her to recognize that.

“She has been an avid quilter and attends church on Sundays and frequently attends bible study and volunteers with her pastor to feed the homeless in Vancouver,” Gail’s children stated.

For Gail, she has a higher purpose, and she tries to live for that higher purpose every day. She lives and loves like Jesus, and it is not just because she “has” to. It is because she genuinely wants to, as her heart is so full of compassion and is a heart that cares.

In fact, when it comes to the way she treats others and her personality in general, you can learn a few things about life. Gail’s ability to live life the right way and to treat people the right way at all times does not go underappreciated.

“She’s taught us perseverance, kindness and independence,” the kids said.

A lot of who Gail is today can be attributed to her family. She gained a wonderful stepmother and mentor as an early adult and Lucy guided her for many years, providing an ear, an arm, or a word or two of wisdom (but only when asked).

The one thing that has maybe changed about all that is how Gail has taken the importance of family and maximized it. She does not just love her kids and grandkids because it is engrained in her, but because it is who she is. She loves to love, and that will not change.

“She always tries to learn about what the kids are doing to participate in their activities/interests/school goals,” Gail’s children said. “She helped them financially with university. She is always genuinely proud and encouraging toward their success, and she is excited to have a great-grandson after all granddaughters.”

As the family continues to grow, so does Gail’s love for them. She shows why she is a true matriarch, showing up for them in every way possible.

Of course, as mentioned before, the heart she has does not stop with her family. Gail’s sense of compassion runs far and wide, and toward a lot of people.

“She is generous,” the kids said. “She volunteers her time. Her patience also makes her good to others.”

When she is not spending time giving back to others, you can find Gail trying to get away on a family vacation. That has always been a big part of who she is and what she enjoys doing, and those trips are always memorable because she has a knack for making great memories.

“Some memorable stories include Disneyland and going to Mexico as a family with our Grandma Lucy,” the kids said.

“We grew up listening to Elvis Presley on the tape deck (and later CD) or watching his many movies that were frequently on in the background during quilting hours,” they added. “Recently, we were able to make a life long dream come true by spending a weekend in Memphis, visiting Graceland and taking in all things Elvis, to celebrate Gail and her love of The King.”

Life is what you make of it, and Gail has certainly made the most of hers. She has shown her family firsthand what perseverance, dedication and sticking to it does. It can make you a successful individual, and it can have a trickledown effect for generations to come.

Speaking of which, one of the things Gail’s children wanted to remind her of is “that she is a dedicated mom and grandma.”

They know that, they see that, and they appreciate that. Gail means everything to them, and they know what they mean to her, and they could not be more thankful.

“She tried really hard to learn about our interests and her grandchildren’s interests, like soccer, dance, music, film, art… We are grateful for that.” – the Erwin kids