You definitely showed me, Mom
Mom's been gone 14 years now. Never a day goes by without a thought of her. I hear her voice in my head all the time… doling out words of instruction, advice, sometimes critical, sometimes harsh, but always with love. I hear her voice coming out of my own mouth, too. I feel her hands on mine when I clean out the drainage ditch by the field at our house.
I miss her more now, than ever. I understand her now, more than ever.
Since I entered motherhood, I totally get the lack of enthusiasm Mom had for meal prep during my childhood…tater tots and fish sticks fondly come to mind. She gladly let Daddy fill in as chef to our family, country cookin' at its finest.
I get her being wiped out mentally and physically when my brother and I were young. The naps she took puzzled me then. Now, I relish my own snooze time.
Mom was a blue collar 'Betty'. She worked as a short order cook, a shoe laster and a plastics factory QA, during my growing up years, until her forced retirement in the 90s. Her last stint was overnights at the plastics factory. I'm only 51 and am completely beaten after a day's desk work. I can't imagine enduring a grueling nighttime factory job at the age she was then, day in and day out.
Mom was truly a boss when it came to work.
She showed me how to scrub the toilets, hoe a row, make a spongecake roll and concoct a poultice to put on a 'risin' (pimple in laymen's terms). She showed me what it takes to get things done yesterday, not today. She showed me how to fearlessly love my child in the most self-sacrificing way…she showed me what it truly means to be a mom.
Happy Mother's Day in heaven, Mom! Thanks for showing me.
- -- Posted by jlduncan142 on Thu, May 9, 2019, at 6:22 PM
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