My Mother

M is for the million things she gave me.

O means only that she's growing old.

T is for the tears she shed to save me.

H is for her heart of purest gold.

E is for her eyes with love-light shining.

R is right, and right she'll always be.

Put them altogether, they spell MOTHER, the word that means the world to me!

Very early in life, I learned this song...and I continue to sing it to this day.

Now, you may think that I should be writing this in May, when Americans celebrate Mother's Day. However, every early January, my siblings and I celebrate one of the most important days of our lives - the day our Mother was born. Giving respect to her special day, I delayed publishing this. Giving honor to her, here is the first writing in a series on "Women Shaping Lives". 

Often, I've spoken privately and publicly about the influence of my Mother on everything good in my life. One five foot tall, 105 pound woman has taught me more about everything I know than any one person I know. And mostly, she has taught it by example. 

My home, children and life are filled with my Mother's sayings, which include but are certainly! not limited to:

Pretty is as pretty does. Let your dreams build your purpose; let your hands build your house. Education is Freedom. Exercise your brain; it's a muscle, too! Association brings on Assimilation. One man's trash is another one's treasure. Evolution is creation. Haste makes waste. Be the example you want others to follow. Waste not, want not. Listen more than you talk and think before you walk. God made it, so there's perfection in it. Bring a mirror to your accusations and a gift to your protagonists. Speak softly and listen out loud....and....Before you ask for a blessing, be one.

Sometimes, I think 'They don't make Mothers like they used to'. Then, I think about all the ways my Mother has stayed the same and all the ways she has changed. My Mother remains soft of voice and strong in purpose. She is still always the smartest person in the room and the quietest, AND the last to ask for anything. She never criticizes, nor says "I told you so". Mommie welcomes us all home, no matter the time, day nor reason, and she can play a spiritual on her piano and sing a song of praise that will make you cry soft hallelujahs.

Mommie has also learned the words to some Common songs (though she refuses to learn to twerk or NaeNae), she's hip to what's on social media without joining Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat or LinkedIn. She remembers all her grandchildren's names and birthdays BEFORE their parents do, and goes where she wants to, when she wants to, better dressed than either of her daughters.

Mother watches the news, and can tell you which segments are 'stories' and which are really 'breaking news'. Mother doesn't swear, drink nor over eat; still, she can laugh and make every gathering a party. Mommie's house, absent the family crowd, is the neatest, cleanest house you can ever enter...and Mommie's house, with the family crowd, is the most welcoming place you could ever call home.

Now, I will call home - to Mommie, with a very grateful Happy Birthday wish!