My Mother

My mother had little formal education, yet she had great wisdom. Her children all reflect the solid values that she held. In some ways she had a simple faith in God, yet in other ways she always fretted about not living up to her own expectations. Of course I am biased, but I never met a more perfect saint than she was.

Life was not always easy for her. We never had much money, and she worked very hard at giving us the best she could with what little she had. Although Dad loved her very much, he was not always helpful. He was often very impatient with her and with his children. Good grief! That's where I got it. They say the apple doesn't fall very far from the tree. She often walked on eggshells trying to keep him happy while trying to protect us from his occasional wrath. I wish sometimes she had been a little more aggressive in expressing her feelings, but she couldn't do that.

I remember her infectious laugh. At her memorial service someone called her laughing Ada. I also remember her tears. She suffered through several nervous breakdowns, and she often cried herself to sleep. Those were difficult years for me when I was becoming a young man. She finally conquered most of her neuroses after she learned she was dying of cancer. I guess that's the hardest thing to remember. Those four years of watching her suffer while her health continued to deteriorate. She finally was allowed to pass into a peaceful rest. God Bless you, Mother, I love you. Your son, Jay