"JESUS & MAMA"

If you happen to be a "Baby Boomer" growing up in the 1950's and 1960's then you are keenly aware Mothers were also your teacher, nurse, minister, consoler, confidant, watchdog, master sergeant and warden depending on the severity of the infraction. With lightning speed Mama could go from nursing a scraped knee with Mercurochrome and a warm hug to enforcer with a switch from the backyard mimosa tree. Mothers also had the wisdom showing us many kinds of love. Motherly love, parental love, spiritual love, patient love and yes, even tough love. 

Mamas had lots of rules back in those times. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were eaten at the supper table without exception. When you were eating a meal at the supper table there better not be any elbows resting on top of it. When you had wolfed down all your food (regardless if you liked it or not) then you did not pass go but proceeded directly to the sink to rinse your plate and help with dishes in some capacity. Food was what Mama decided it would be and it usually didn't consist of anything sugary. There was not any McDonald's or In and Out joints so you had better eat when it was served as snacking was unheard of except maybe an after school snack. Twinkies with a Dr. Pepper (or in those days the ever sweet O-So or Pep-Up sodas) was not going to happen with Mama around. 

Back in those days Mothers demanded to know where you were, who we were with and where we were going without exception. She would even want to know who our friends were, where they lived and the names of their mothers and fathers along with the family ancestry back to the frontier days.

If we told our Mothers we would be home by a certain time, we had better be there five minutes early to avoid risking a spanking, slap upside the head or worse depending on your age at the time of tardiness. It didn't matter what time the clock was at your friend's house, Mama's time was all that counted. Not just one time were we punished mind you but each and every time we were late or talked backed to her. Daddy's belts were used more on our rear ends than they were used to hold up his slacks.

1950's Mothers had strict rules about personal hygiene, cleanliness and doing chores. Not weekly mind you but each and every day we had to pick up our rooms and make our beds. Many of us learned how to make our beds before we learned our ABC's. We also learned if we didn't make the bed right, we would have to do it over and over and over. A bath each and every night along with brushing your teeth was part of a Mother's mandatory bedtime inspection before getting into bed. Your odors better smell like Lux soap and Ipana toothpaste or you wouldn't be getting anywhere near Mama's clean linens. Our undergarments and clothes had to be clean, changed daily and had to be worn. Going without underwear or a bra was not going to happen. Sometimes, Mother's were our fashion trend setters when we had to wear jeans which our mother patched to last a few more miles or a skirt she made so a dollar would last longer. 

Mothers were also strict about going to school, studying and making decent grades. Failure to comply with any of these rules would result in confinement to your room and loss of all leisure time. If you were lucky enough there was a television in the house, you could forget about watching Sky King or Captain Kangaroo or Leave It to Beaver if any grades were not up to Mama's standards. 

Mothers had their own interpretation of what rest meant on Sunday's. It most definitely did not include sleeping in on the Lord's Day. Nor did one think about skipping Sunday School or Church. Mamas made sure you got up at the crack of dawn so there was enough time to eat breakfast, get your Church clothes donned and recite your Bible verses to Mama so she knew you had them memorized before sitting down in Sunday School.

Not only did Mothers teach us the Golden Rule but they taught us to be God fearing while educating us how to pray. Mamas never hesitated to warn us "God knows" if she thought we might be less than one hundred percent truthful about where we had been or what we had been doing.

God made mothers to be all things in raising children. (Proverbs 31:26-27). God also left us a direct Commandment to honor our mothers and fathers (Deuteronomy 5:16, Ephesians 6:2-3) along with specific guidance to "listen when your father corrects you. Don't neglect your mother's instruction" (Proverbs 1:8-9).

Life in the 1950's and 1960's was simpler, slower and safer. Much of life centered around the basics like the importance of good manners, cleanliness, good grades, telling the truth, be thankful for what you have and a God centered priority in thinking and living. Mothers were God's representatives to show us how we should be in the life awaiting us. (Proverbs 22:6).

Heavenly Father, thank You for making Mothers. Thank You for giving them the wisdom to know when to hug us and when to spank us. Thank You for giving them a heart so big they could be all things to us preparing us for life. Thank You for giving them the importance to teach us to trust Your Son, Jesus. Life has shown us numerous times that "Jesus and Mama" always loves us even when we were both sinner and saint!

Happy Mother's Day to each and every mother whether they are still teaching us or walking the streets paved with gold.