HEROES AND MOTHERS

This month we’re talking about heroes, and since Sunday is Mother’s Day my thoughts are drawn to my mother. She passed away in 2000. Sunday I will be a little sad, but I’ll remember all the things about her that made me laugh. Made me wiser and a better person.

One of the things I remember most was her courage in an era when men made all the decisions and controlled the money. My parents grew cotton, corn and raised cattle in rural Texas. My mother worked as hard as my dad, but her name wasn't on their checking account. She wanted her name on that account. My dad said no. He’d give her whatever she needed (This was in the sixties). That didn’t suit her. She said if she couldn’t write checks then she was getting a job and making her own money. My dad kind of laughed at that. But that’s exactly what she did. There was a lot of quiet around our house during that time.

One night my dad laid a piece of paper on the table with a checkbook. My mother’s name was on it. She stood up for what she wanted and got it. I admired her courage, and her dry wit always made me laugh. When we disagreed, she had a way of making me think. Usually by making up stuff(Guess I got that creative gene from her).

Here’s some of the made up stuff when she didn’t want me to do something (She never said no. She let me make the decision – kind of):
(When I wanted to buy red fingernail polish)
If you paint your fingernails red, it will make you look cheap. (How cheap could a twelve year old look? But it was effective)

If you color your hair, you’ll look like a hooker. (Geez. I was sixteen and just wanted to get my hair frosted.)

(When I started dating) Never date a guy to spite your mother. That’s just rude.

If you lie to your mother, you’ll tongue will turn green. (My brothers and I looked at our tongues in the mirror a lot.)

If you curse, you’ll get you mouth washed out with soap. (My dad said my oldest brother had a bar of soap named after him.)

My favorite—(Right before I was leaving for college this was her sage advice.) Now you’re going to meet a lot of guys, but before you even think about marriage, take a good look at the fellow’s face and ask yourself if you want to see that mug across the breakfast table for the rest of your life. (Of course I laughed, but I thought about it with every guy I thought was the one, which is what she wanted me to do.)

So here’s to mother’s everywhere who guide us through life with wisdom, humor and a little guilt thrown in for good measure.

So, yes, to me, my mother is a hero. How about you? Any thoughts about your mother?

www.lindawarren.net
Caitlyn’s Prize – July ‘09