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51% Show #1243

My mom's been gone since 2001 – and I never suspected that I'd still miss her every day. It's an inevitability we just don't like to think about – some day, our parents will be gone. For a man in Maine, it's a particularly big issue.  Maine artist Jon Joyce has Downs Syndrome – and he's lived with, and depended on his mother his entire life. She's 94 – and he's her caretaker now. Producer Colleen Udis has more.

That story comes to us courtesy of the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.

Mother is a universal concept – and one we've applied to the planet we live on.

Ojibwe Elder Sharon Day was born and raised in Minnesota. Part of her spiritual practice is to care for water. In 2003 she and other native women began Mother Earth Water Walks to raise awareness of concerns about our water. Each year, the Mother Earth Water Walkers invite everyone to join them. This year's water walk followed the Mississippi River headlands down to the Gulf of Mexico.  

Each year, about 450,000 American teenagers become mothers.  As they try to balance diapers and homework, it's not surprising that fewer than half of teen parents graduate from high school with their peers. Producer Sarah Elzas has this profile of a teen mom living in Waterville, Maine.

This piece was produced by independent producer Sarah Elzas at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies.

Finally, a story that reminded me a trips I took with my own children.  Rick Steves, travel guide writer, TV host and host of an NPR travel show, talks about his first travel partner: His mother.

That’s our show for this week.  Thanks to Katie Britton for production assistance.  Our theme music is by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio.  Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock.

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