Friday, January 2, 2009

Mother's Birthday

Today is my Mother's birthday. She was born in 1915 and passed away in 2004. I wanted to take a little bit, and tell you about my Mother. She was born in Anniston, Alabama. Her father was a lawyer and judge. Her mother was a teacher. In fact, her mother later was named as Mother of the Year for Alabama. My Mother had four brothers and a sister. One brother became a Supreme Court Judge for Alabama. Another was a prominent attorney in Anniston. Another was an attorney in Heflin, Alabama. Another was an educator. And, her sister was a writer. My Mother's parents moved to Heflin, where her father was the judge. One family story is that Grandmother taught the white kids in the morning, and the black kids in the afternoon. The Klan didn't like her doing that, so they shot up the house. Granddad found out who did it and put them in jail, despite being friends with him. You didn't mess with Granddad. When Mother was 16, she developed rheumatic fever. It was very serious, and she had to stay home from school, where she was very smart. The doctors told her that she was going to die, but somehow she was healed. She went on to Alabama College, which later became the University of Montevallo. From there, she went to Southwestern Baptist Seminary in Fort Worth, where she met Daddy. They got married in Heflin in 1937, and that began their long marriage. John was born in Atlanta, and I was born in New Orleans. They were together for 62 years, before Daddy died. A friend of mine decided to get married on the day that my parents did, because she figured it was good luck. She and her husband are still together. So, May 25th may be a magic date. I can talk a lot about how much Mother meant to me. But, she had talents for writing and drama, and she passed them on to me. She loved music, especially show tunes and early rock and roll. She introduced me to the music of The Beatles, which I fell in love with. She taught me to care for others, which I do to this day, even if others don't care about me as much. She taught me the importance of family and friends. And, she never complained. While she was dealing with the ravages of a major stroke, she would always say she was fine, when asked. You knew she wasn't, but she always had a smile and sweet spirit. I only saw her cry twice. When she finally died in 2004, it was a blessing, because she suffered so much. But at the same time, it was very sad, because I lost my best friend. I haven't gotten over that day, and probably never will. But, Mother was a very strong woman. She had to be to be married to Daddy. She was a very creative person. And she taught me how to smile. I need someone to teach me that lesson again. Smile.

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