Every year, I am thankful I have living reasons to
celebrate Mother's and Father's Day.
Despite the fact I am getting old, I still have my parents with me.
Sunday was my Mother's birthday.
Her life now has spanned eight decades. My Father is just a few months older.
They still are living independently.
They had two children, my brother Jeff and myself. Between the two of us we take care of
those things Mom and Dad are now unable to handle.
Basically, it entails transportation and keeping the yard in shape.
Mom still can swing around a kitchen with no problem. And she does all of the
housekeeping without any help. She still makes the best batch of potato salad
in the area. She has lost little with age.
The last couple of years have not been as kind to my father. His body is
healthy, but his memory has begun to slip away. He might forget when he had his last
meal, but he remembers each member of his family. Something else he remembers, the
words and melodies of about a half a hymnal.
If you want to get on Dad's good side, just start singing one of those old familiar hymns
of the church and not only will you get a tenor to join you but a smile for your effort.
Caring for Dad has been a strain for Mom but she does so with a smile. I guess after
nearly 60 years of marriage it comes naturally. She abides by that old saying, a
Mother's work is never done.
I was blessed to have been raised by two loving, caring, God fearing parents. What I
am today is more than in large part due to them. They planted the seeds that today
are bearing some fruit.
They placed a big emphasis on education. I could not tell you how many times I heard
"Study hard, be the best that you can be and if you have done your best, I will never
complain. Just do your best."
I know there were times I disappointed them.
In college, I worked hard at not living up to my ability. It was in the turbulent
60s and social change was more appealing to me than filling my brain.
Not only were they pleased, but perhaps a little startled, when I graduated.
My family was the typical for that time period. Dad went off to work everyday and
Mom, took care of the house and children. She was a teacher before I was born,
but she left the work world as soon as she had a child to work with. She deemed it
more important to raise a child well than to bring a little more into the house
financially.
And being a teacher, there always was importance placed on education.
They should have called my Johnny Come Lately when I was young.
I used to wait for the last minute for all things revolving around school, papers,
projects, tests, all were prepared at the last minute. I was blessed with having a
quick mind and usually I got away with this procrastination. Not only got away with
it but achieved honors.
Occasionally then, as I sometimes do now, I would bite off more than I could chew. I
would wait just a little too long.
Then it would be Mom to the rescue.
There was one upcoming test that required me to read several chapters from a very stodgy,
boring history book.
I waited until the last minute, as usual. And this time around, sleep was winning
the battle. I just could not keep my eyes open to get the material read that I
needed to read, and know, for the test.
Mom noticed my predicament. I think she pulled on her blouse with the read
"S" on the chest. It was times like these that she went from Mom to
Super Mom.
She apprised the situation and jumped into action.
Seated at my bedside, Mom began reading the material to me. Yes, she sat right there
and read chapter after chapter. And me, I fell in and out of sleep.
Sometimes I consciously heard the words she was reading, other times they must have
penetrated the veil of sleep that surrounded me because when the test was returned, I
again had scored well.
This proceeded by many years the whole theory of people being able to learn in their
sleep. Later they came out with special pillow speakers and instructional tapes to
achieve the same goal that Mom had mastered sitting in a straight-back chair beside a
sleeping son.
I thought about that study session as we celebrated Mom's birthday. As we thanked
God for letting us have her for 80 years.
"You know," she reminded me, "I now am the longest living member of
my family ever." She ran down the age of her close relatives, and her
own Mother, at the time of their deaths. Eighty is a new plateau for her side of the
family.
I just smiled and told her to keep setting that bar higher, that would give me something
to shoot for.
I am glad Mom is setting family longevity records. I am glad both she and Dad are
still with me. And I am glad that Mom not only is sharp but has not lost that
teachers mentality she always has had.
This year I returned to school in search of another degree. My study habits are much
better these days, but I still have been known to procrastinate. You never know when
you might have need of a Super Mom.
Perhaps that is why as an adult, I always keep a straight-back chair near the bed. I
guess it is there in case I need a little more late-night education. A Mother's work
is never done.
